Association between dietary macronutrients and body composition in college students.

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVES

Evidence regarding macronutrients and body composition remains limited. This study examined the relationship in Chinese college students.

METHODS AND STUDY

DESIGN

498 Beijing college students aged 18-31 years were included. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance. Linear and logistic regression analyses examined correlations between macronutrients intake and body composition.

RESULTS

Obesity-related indicators including waist and hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, body mass index, body fat mass, fat mass index and body fat percentage, and muscle-related indicators including soft lean mass, fat free mass, fat-free mass index, skeletal muscle mass, skeletal muscle index were negatively correlated with the propor-tion of protein intake (p <0.05), and were positively correlated with the proportion of fat intake (p <0.05). All body composition parameters, except waist-hip ratio, were negatively correlated with the proportion of car-bohydrate intake (p <0.05). The risk of thinness increased progressively with higher proportion of protein in-take (OR: 4.48, 4.57, 7.43; p <0.05). However, higher proportion of protein intake was associated with a reduced risk of overweight (OR :0.41, 0.39; p <0.05) and obesity (OR = 0.09, p = 0.007). Increased risk of overweight (OR = 2.29, p = 0.044) and obesity (OR = 4.42, p = 0.030) were observed in the fourth quartile group of fat intake proportion compared to the first.

CONCLUSIONS

Further studies are warranted to clarify the relationship between body muscle and fat distribution and macronutrients intake composition.