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Dietary patterns associated with vitamin/mineral supplement use and smoking among women of the E3N–EPIC cohort

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 63, pages 39–47 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

An understanding of the relationships between dietary habits and supplement use or smoking is useful for aetiological studies and surveillance purposes. The objective of this study is to describe dietary patterns associated with vitamin/mineral supplement use and smoking habits in French women.

Methods:

Scores for dietary patterns were obtained by factor analysis in 64 252 women from the French E3N–EPIC cohort. The association with supplement and tobacco use was investigated by logistic regression analysis.

Results:

We identified three dietary patterns: ‘processed meat/starchy foods’ (fast foods, processed meat, rice/pasta/semolina and cakes and few vegetables); ‘fruit/vegetables’ (fruits, vegetables, seafood, vegetable oils and yoghurt); and ‘alcohol/meat products’ (alcohol, meat and meat products, and coffee, and few fruits and soup). Supplement use was positively associated with the fruit/vegetables pattern (multivariate OR for quartile 4 versus 1 (OR4)=1.55, 95% confidence interval: 1.47–1.63), and inversely associated with the processed meat/starchy foods (OR4=0.84; 0.80–0.89) and alcohol/meat products (OR4=0.69; 0.66–0.73) patterns (P trend for all associations <0.0001). As compared with never smoking, current smoking was inversely associated with the fruit/vegetables pattern (OR4=0.85; 0.78–0.92), while former smoking was positively associated with the fruit/vegetables pattern (OR4=1.32; 1.25–1.40); both current and former smoking were inversely associated with the processed meat/starchy foods pattern (OR4=0.57; 0.53–0.62 and 0.64; 0.60–0.67, respectively); whereas current and former smoking were both strongly positively associated with the alcohol/meat products pattern (OR4=5.78; 5.26–6.36 and 2.03; 1.91–2.15, respectively); P trend for all associations was <0.001.

Conclusions:

Supplement use and smoking are strongly associated with dietary patterns.

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Acknowledgements

We are indebted to all participants for providing the data. We are grateful to Lyan Hoang and Marie Fangon for their technical assistance; to all members of the E3N group; and to Catriona Holmes and Jerri Bram for their assistance with English editing. This study was supported by the French Food Safety Agency, the French League against Cancer, the European Community, the 3M Company, the Mutuelle Générale de l'Education Nationale, the Institut Gustave Roussy and the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Inserm (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale), ERI 20/Université Paris-Sud, EA 4045, IFR 69/Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France

    M Touvier, M Niravong, F Clavel-Chapelon & M-C Boutron-Ruault

  2. AFSSA (French Food Safety Agency), DERNS/PASER, Maisons-Alfort, France

    M Touvier, J-L Volatier, L Lafay, S Lioret & M-C Boutron-Ruault

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  1. M Touvier
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  2. M Niravong
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  5. S Lioret
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  6. F Clavel-Chapelon
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  7. M-C Boutron-Ruault
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M-C Boutron-Ruault.

Additional information

Contributors: MT designed the study, analysed and interpreted the data and wrote the manuscript. MN was in charge of collection and validation of dietary data. J-LV, LL and SL contributed in interpreting results and editing the manuscript. FC designed and coordinated the study cohort and supervised the study. MCBR supervised the design, analysis and interpretation of the data, as well as writing of the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript. None of the authors had a conflict of interest.

Appendix

Appendix

Table A1

Table a1 Food groups and food items introduced in the factor analysis
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Touvier, M., Niravong, M., Volatier, JL. et al. Dietary patterns associated with vitamin/mineral supplement use and smoking among women of the E3N–EPIC cohort. Eur J Clin Nutr 63, 39–47 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602907

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