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Dietary quality index international and the odds of irritable bowel syndrome: a case–control study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2025

Saeede Jafari Nasab ,
Awat Feizi ,
Parisa Hajihashemi Open the ORCID record for Parisa Hajihashemi [Opens in a new window] ,
Alireza Ani ,
Hassan Shahoon ,
Hamidreza Roohafza ,
Cain C. T. Clark ,
Peyman Adibi  and
Mohammad-Hassan Entezari Open the ORCID record for Mohammad-Hassan Entezari [Opens in a new window]
Saeede Jafari Nasab
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Awat Feizi
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Health and Clinical Toxicology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Parisa Hajihashemi
Affiliation:
Isfahan Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Alireza Ani
Affiliation:
Department of Bioinformatics, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Hassan Shahoon
Affiliation:
Isfahan Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Hamidreza Roohafza
Affiliation:
Cardiac Rehabilitation Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Cain C. T. Clark
Affiliation:
College of Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK
Peyman Adibi
Affiliation:
Isfahan Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Mohammad-Hassan Entezari*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
*
Corresponding author: Mohammad-Hassan Entezari; Email: mh.entezari1401@gmail.com
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Abstract

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gut–brain interaction disorder. The aetiology of IBS is not entirely elucidated; however, among the risk factors, dietary factors are regarded as crucial. Previous studies have primarily investigated the association of single nutrients and food groups with the odds of IBS, rather than diet quality, which considers the interaction of food groups in the odds of disease. Thus, this study sought to investigate the association between dietary quality index international (DQI-I) and the odds of IBS in Iranian adults. In this case–control study, dietary intakes of 100 IBS cases and 310 healthy controls were examined using a validated dish-based semi-quantitative FFQ (DB-FFQ). DQI-I score was then calculated based and categorised into tertiles. The Persian version of the Rome IV questionnaire was utilised to assess IBS. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between DQI-I score and the odds of IBS. After controlling for potential confounders, no significant association was shown between DQI-I scores and IBS odds among whole and gender-stratified groups. Although DQI-I represents a healthy diet, the results of the current case–control study demonstrated that a higher DQI-I score was not associated with reduced odds of IBS in fully adjusted regression models. Considering inherent limitations as well as the scarce evidence regarding the association between DQI-I and odds of IBS, further large-scale, prospective studies are required to confirm our findings.

Keywords

Irritable bowel syndromeDietary quality index-internationalDiet quality indicesGastrointestinal disorders

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 133 , Issue 9 , 14 May 2025 , pp. 1224 - 1234
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society

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