Pegah Rahbari-Nejad - Department of Nutrition, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran,
Golaleh Asghari - Nutrition and Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Emad Yuzbashian - Nutrition and Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abolghassem Djazayery - Department of Nutrition, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran,

Background and Aim: To assess the association of a priori defined index, dietary inflammatory index (DII), with carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) among overweight or obese children and adolescents. Methods: A total of 339 children and adolescents (48% girls) aged from 6 to 13 years, with WHO body mass index z-score> 1 were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Valid and reliable semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to collect dietary intakes and calculate DII score. Carotid intima media thickness was measured in common carotid artery with high-resolution ultrasonography. Results: In this cross-sectional study the mean±SD age of participants was 9.3±1.7 years. Among participants, 68% were obese and 83% were in pubertal stage. The DII ranged from -5.434 to 4.417 with the mean of -2.832 in the lowest tertile of DII and 1.247 in the highest tertile. Dietary inflammatory index score, as a continuous variable, had no significant association with cIMT in unadjusted (B=0.012, P-value=0.825) and after adjusting for potential confounders (B=0.071, P-value=0.310). However, a significant increasing linear trend in cIMT was noted across tertiles of DII in multivariable adjusted model (P for trend=0.019).Conclusion: These results support the hypothesis that pro-inflammatory diet escalates systematic inflammation causing to have higher cIMT.

Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), Carotid Intima Media Thickness (cIMT), Obese, Overweight, Children, Adolescents