(PTFS12-06-24) Assessment of Healthiness of Food Consumption by Nigerian Adults Using the Global Diet Quality Score

Objectives: The Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) evaluates nutrient adequacy by assessing healthy (GDQS+) and unhealthy (GDQS-,) food intake. In this study, we used the GDQS and its sub-scores to examine the adequacy of nutrients in the Nigerian diet and its variations by sex.

Methods: We administered validated semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) of 202 food items to 205 purposively selected adults in Ibadan, Nigeria, semi-annually from November 2018 to October 2020. Dietary intakes were determined from FFQ administered at baseline. Nutrient adequacy was computed using the GDQS based on 25 food groups (range 0-49). This comprised 16 healthy food groups (GDQS+, those that should be consumed in higher amounts), including whole grain, orange vegetables, dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, poultry, and fish (range 0-32), and 9 unhealthy food groups (GDQS-, those that should be consumed in lower amounts), such as red and processed meats and refined grains (range 0-17). We used the Wilcoxon rank-sum test to evaluate differences in nutrient adequacy by sex.

Results: There were 110 women and 95 men with a mean(SD) age of 45.0(13.4) years. The mean(SD) GDQS was similar between men (28.9(3.9)) and women (28.5(4.0)) (p=0.42). However, mean(SD) GDQS+ was higher in men (24.0(4.2)) compared to women (22.7(4.3), p=0.02), which can be attributed to a greater intake of eggs, poultry, and dark green leafy vegetables, primarily incorporated into soups or cooked dishes. In contrast, mean(SD) GDQS- was higher in women (5.7(2.0)) compared to men (4.9(1.8), p=0.001), indicating a lower intake of unhealthy foods such as red and processed meats and refined grains. Notably, over 95% of participants reported no intake of cruciferous vegetables.

Conclusions: Our study shows an overall healthy dietary intake for Nigerian adults, with some differences in consumption of healthy and unhealthy foods by sex and very low intake of cruciferous vegetables.

Funding Sources: Support for CAA and SNA was provided by funds through the Maryland Department of Health's Cigarette Restitution Fund Program (CH-649-CRF); and the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center Support Grant (P30CA134274). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or the Maryland Department of Health.