Food biodiversity and its association with health outcomes in the NutriNet Brasil cohort

• Grant number: 24/17436-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: April 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Augusto Monteiro
• Grantee: Fernanda Helena Marrocos Leite Villamarin
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/05636-0 - Program of population studies on the consumption of ultraprocessed foods and health, AP.TEM

Abstract

Food biodiversity has the potential to promote healthier diets and improve the resilience of the Earth's system. Previous studies conducted in countries with different income levels show positive associations between species diversity in diets (Dietary Species Richness or DSR) and its adequacy in micronutrients, as well as an inverse association of DSR with all-cause mortality and the incidence of chronic diseases. Nevertheless, these studies are still lacking in Brazil. The present project aims to prospectively evaluate the association between food biodiversity and the incidence of health outcomes in Brazil. Data from the NutriNet Brasil cohort - a prospective study that is part of a thematic FAPESP project conducted by Nupens/USP, the research center where the postdoctoral fellowship will be carried out - will be used. Participant recruitment for the cohort is ongoing and has been conducted since January 2020. Information on diet, health status, and other variables influencing these conditions are collected through a digital platform using self-administered electronic questionnaires. Food biodiversity (or DSR) will be assessed through 24-hour dietary recalls (Nova24h). The health status questionnaires allow for the identification of prevalent and incident cases of intestinal symptoms, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and depressive symptoms. IBS and depressive symptoms are identified using, respectively, the Rome III symptom scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire. The association between food biodiversity and the incidence of the aforementioned health outcomes will be evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for potential confounding variables.