Trends of Adherence to Dietary Patterns in Colombian Population, 2010-2015

In this study we sought to determine: (1) adherence to each one of the dietary patterns (DPs) identified in Colombia by the National Nutrition Surveys (ENSIN) in 2010 and 2015; (2) trends in adherence to these patterns between 2010 and 2015; and (3) differences in adherence between the 2 surveys according to some of the biological and socioeconomic variables. We conducted a cross-sectional study with secondary analysis of data from the ENSIN-2010 and ENSIN-2015 surveys that enrolled 37,667 persons. Diet was assessed by a Food Frequency Questionnaire. Based on a factor analysis, 3 dietary patterns were identified: traditional/starch pattern (TSP), fruit-vegetable/dairy pattern (FVDP), and snack pattern (SP). We used multiple linear regression to estimate adjusted differences in adherence to patterns between ENSIN-2010 and ENSIN-2015. For both years, adults had the lowest adherence to the 3 DPs. Between 2010 and 2015, the TSP pattern decreased for children, the FVDP remained the same for all age groups, and SP decreased for all age groups. These findings can aid in designing, monitoring, and evaluating food education intervention strategies with a differential approach and an emphasis on the traditional Colombian dietary pattern, according to the life cycle stage.