Table 3.
Characteristics of studies included in the systematic review owing to reporting the association between dietary patterns and health-related quality of life
| First author | Year | Country | Design | Disease status | Sex | Age range | Total sample size | N. of cases / controls | Dietary pattern assessment method | HRQOL assessment method | Result | Adjusted variables |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mozzillo et al. [21] | 2017 | Italy | Cross-sectional | Participants with type 1 diabetes | Both | 13 -19 | 242 | 110women/ 132 men | MED score by KIDMED (16 questions) score to assess adherence | Italian version of the PedsQL 3.0 DM | No significant associations between MED and quality of life were found | - |
| Moravejolahkami et al. [47] | 2019 | Iran | Cross-sectional | Multiple sclerosis patients | Both | 20–60 | 261 | 210 women/ 51 men | Factor analysis with three dietary patterns ("Fruits, Vegetables, Low fat dairy-based dietary" pattern, "Mediterranean-Like" dietary pattern and "Western-Like" dietary pattern) by semi-quantitative FFQ | MSQOL-54 | Fruits, Vegetables, Low fat dairy-based pattern and Mediterranean-Like pattern were associated with higher physical and mental health composite scores (P < 0.001) | Age, sex, type of multiple sclerosis and duration of the disease |
| Sanchez-Aguadero et al. [44] | 2016 | Spain | Longitudinal follow-up study | Subjects with intermediate cardiovascular risk | Both | 35–74 | 314 | 159 women/ 155 men | MED score by FFQ | SF-12 | Greater adherence to the MED was associated with higher scores on the SF-12 mental component, social functioning. 1.17 point increase in the mental component for each increase of 1 point in the MED adherence score (p < 0.01) | Age, sex, hypertension, dyslipidemia and Charlson Comorbidity Index |
| Zaragoza-Marti et al. [45] | 2016 | Spain | Cross-sectional | Elderly free-living | Both | More than 60 | 351 | 201 women/ 150 men | MDP by short FFQ (MEDIS-FFQ) validated for older adult | SF-12 | Higher adherence to MED was associated with higher QOL. In adjusted model, MED was associated with PCS and MCS in men and with MCS in women | Age |
| Kim et al. [17] | 2018 | Spain | Cross-sectional | Breast cancer survivors | Women | 12–79 years | 232 | 58/58 | Factor analysis with two major dietary pattern "Healthy" and "Western" assessed by non-consecutive 3-day dietary record on 2 weekdays and 1 weekend day | EORTC QLQ-C30) and (QLQ-BR23) | "Healthy" dietary patterns were associated with better scores for dyspnea but worse scores for insomnia among breast cancer survivors | Age, BMI, marital status, education level, cancer stage, physical activity, time since surgery and menopausal status |
| Gigic et al. [27] | 2017 | USA | Longitudinal follow-up study | Colorectal cancer patients | Both | ≥ 18 | 192 | 58/58 | Factor analysis with four major dietary pattern of "Western", "Fruit & vegetable", "Bread & butter" and "High- carbohydrate" by FFQ | EORTC QLQ-C30 | Patients following a "Western" diet had lower chances to improve in physical functioning, constipation and diarrhea over 12 months post-surgery. Patients following a ''Fruit & vegetable" diet showed improving diarrhea scores | Sex, age, tumor stage, tumor site, and stoma |
| Holmes et al. [22] | 2018 | France | Cross-sectional | Subjects with minor digestive symptoms | Women | 18–60 years | 324 | 100/ 58 | Factor analysis with four major dietary pattern of "Healthy", "Unhealthy", "Balance" and "Convenience" by non-consecutives 24 h recall method | Food Benefit Assessment questionnaire | No significant difference in none of dimensions of quality of life in different clusters was observed | Age |
| Perez-Tasigchana et al. [23] | 2016 | Spain | UAM-cohort (baseline data) | Community dwelling individuals | Both | ≥ 60 | 2,376 | 594/594 | MED was assessed using three approaches of MDP index, PREDIMED score and Trichopoulou’s MED score using FFQ | SF-36 | No significant associations between the MDP and the PCS or the MCS were found | Sex, age, education, tobacco, BMI, abdominal obesity, hypertension, leisure-time physical activity, time spent watching TV, energy intake, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, CHD, stroke, cancer, and depression |
| Perez-Tasigchana et al. [23] | 2016 | Spain | Seniors-ENRICA cohort (baseline data) | Community dwelling individuals | Both | ≥ 60 | 1,911 | 478/477 | MED was assessed using three approaches of MDP index, PREDIMED score and Trichopoulou’s MED score using FFQ | SF-12v.2 | A higher PREDIMED score was associated with a slightly better PCS; when compared with the lowest tertile of PREDIMED score, the beta coefficient for PCS was 0.55 (−0.48, 1.59) in the second tertile, and 1.34 (0.21, 2.47) in the highest tertile. However, the PREDIMED score was non-significantly associated with a better MCS score. The MSD did not show an association with either the PCS or the MCS | Sex, age, education, tobacco, BMI, abdominal obesity, hypertension, leisure-time physical activity, and time spent watching TV, energy intake, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, CHD, stroke, cancer, and depression |
| Alcubierre et al. [34] | 2016 | Spain | Cross-sectional | Patients with type 2 diabetes | Both | ≥ 18 | 294 | 294 | rMED by FFQ | ADDQoL-19 | The adherence to the MED showed no significant association with the overall QOL score. However, rMED was associated with some HRQOL dimensions: travels, self-confidence and freedom to eat and drink | Adjusted for insulin treatment, retinopathy, diabetes duration, age (> 65 years), waist, ethnicity |
| Milte et al. [46] | 2015 | Australia | Cross-sectional | Old individuals | Both | 55–65 years | 2,457 | 516/887 | MED diet score by FFQ | SF-36 | MED score was positively associated with energy component of quality of life (OR = 1.53, CI = 1.11–2.10) only in women | Age, education, urban or rural location and menopausal status in women, smoking, physical activity and BMI |
| Ruano et al. [28] | 2013 | Spain | Cohort study (baseline data) | University graduates | Both | ≥ 18 | 11,125 | 2,225/2,225 | Factor analysis with four two dietary pattern of MDP score and "Western" dietary pattern by FFQ | Spanish version of the SF-36 | "Western" dietary pattern was associated with lower HRQOL in all domains. The MDP was associated with better HRQOL domains | Age, sex, smoking, leisure time physical activity, total energy intake, baseline BMI and history of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, CVD |
| Bonaccio et al. [35] | 2013 | Italy | Cross-sectional | Community dwelling individuals | Both | ≥ 35 years | 16,936 | 4,234/4,234 | Trichopoulou’s MED score by FFQ | SF-36 | Mental health was associated positively with MED score, IMI and an "Olive oil and vegetable" pattern, but negatively with an "Eggs and sweets" pattern. Physical health was associated positively with MED score and "Olive oil and vegetable" pattern, but negatively with a "Meat and pasta" pattern | Age, sex, BMI, total energy intake, total physical activity, education, income, total socioeconomic status, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia |
| Galilea-Zabalza et al. [36] | 2018 | Spain | Cross-sectional | Community dwelling individuals | Both | 55–70 years | 6,430 | 1,486/1,567 | Traditional MDP score by 17-point questionnaire to assess adherence | Spanish version of HRQOL questionnaire | Higher adherence to the MED was independently associated with significantly better scores in the eight dimensions of HRQOL | Sex, age and recruitment center, BMI, physical activity, smoking status, marital status, highest level of education attained, high blood pressure, diagnosis of type-2 diabetes, history of depression, chronic lung disease, cancer |
FFQ Food Frequency Questionnaire, PedsQL 3.0 DM Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 3.0 Diabetes Module, MSQOL-54 Multiple Sclerosis Quality Of Life-54 questionnaire, EORTC QLQ-C30 European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-life Questionnaire Core 30, EORTC QLQ-BR23 The EORTC Breast Cancer-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire, ADDQoL-19 Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life, IMI Italian Mediterranean diet index, CHD coronary heart disease, PREDIMED score prevention with Mediterranean diet score rMED Relative Mediterranean diet score, CVD cardiovascular disease, PCS Physical component score, MCS Mental component score, MEDP Mediterranean style dietary pattern, MDP Mediterranean dietary pattern MED Mediterranean diet, HRQOL Health-related quality of life, SF-12, The 12-item Short Form, SF-36 The 36-item Short Form, EQ-5D The European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions, QOL Quality of Life, BMI Body Mass Index