The Association between Energy‐Adjusted Dietary Inflammatory Index, Body Composition, and Anthropometric Indices in COVID‐19‐Infected Patients: A Case‐Control Study in Shiraz, Iran
Donya Firoozi, Seyed Jalil Masoumi, Sara Ranjbar, Nitin Shivappa, James R. Hébert, Morteza Zare, Hossein Poustchi, Faeze Sadat Hoseini
Abstract
Background and Aims . Inflammation is strongly associated with the severity and mortality rate of SARS‐CoV‐2 disease (COVID‐19). Dietary factors have a crucial role in preventing chronic and systemic inflammation. This study aimed to evaluate the association between energy‐adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E‐DII) scores and body composition parameters in COVID‐19‐infected patients compared to noninfected controls. Methods . A total of 133 COVID‐19‐infected patients and 322 noninfected controls were selected and enrolled from the Cohort Study of Employees of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. E‐DII score was calculated based on a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and body composition was measured using In‐Body 770 equipment. Logistic regression models were utilized to estimate the odds ratio (OR). Results . In the control group, the mean E‐DII score was significantly lower than the case group (−2.05 vs. −0.30, P ≤ 0.001), indicating that the diet of COVID‐19‐infected subjects was more proinflammatory than the controls. For every 1 unit increase in E‐DII score, the odds of infection with COVID‐19 was nearly triple (OR: 2.86, CI: 2.30, 3.35, P ≤ 0.001). Moreover, for each unit increase in body mass index (BMI), the odds of infection to COVID‐19 increased by 7% (OR: 1.07, CI: 1.01, 1.13, P = 0.02). No significant difference was observed for other anthropometric parameters. Conclusion . The findings revealed that obese people and those consuming a more proinflammatory diet were more susceptible to coronavirus infection. Therefore, maintaining ideal body weight and consuming a more anti‐inflammatory diet can decrease the probability of COVID‐19 infection.