Nutrition/Obesity
Gender differences in the Association Between Diagnosed Status of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease and Healthy Eating Index Wei-Ting Lin* Wei-Ting Lin Peng-sheng Ting Chiung-Kuei Huang Hui-Yi Lin David W. Seal Po-Hung Chen Chien-Hung Lee Tung-Sung Tseng
An increasing prevalence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) was estimated particularly in overweight and obese adults (50.7%). Lifestyle and dietary factors have been related to the development of MASLD. This study aims to investigate gender differences in Healthy Eating Index (HEI) between people who were unaware of MASLD and people with diagnosed MASLD. Individuals reporting diagnosed MASLD and those who did not report a knowledge of liver disease but had a controlled attenuation parameter>302 and limited alcohol use were selected from the 2017-2020 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey. The quality of the daily diet was reflected using HEI-2015. HEI components and total HEI scores were calculated from two-days 24-hour dietary recall interviews. All statistical analyses were performed under survey modules with an appropriate sampling weight. Both men and women with diagnosed MASLD had higher prevalence of comorbidities than those who with unaware of having MASLD (p’s≤0.024). Women with diagnosed MASLD were more likely older and current smokers (p’s≤0.023) compared to women with unaware of having MASLD. Higher dietary scores reflecting more healthy behavior for added sugars, total fruits, and whole fruits were found in women with diagnosed MASLD compared to women who were unaware of having MASLD (p’s≤0.018). Women with diagnosed MASLD still had higher total HEI scores compared to women who were unaware of having MASLD, after adjusting for potential confounders (adj β=3.49, 95%=0.77-6.21). We did not find any significant differences in HEI components or total HEI scores between men with diagnosed MASLD and those who were unaware of having MASLD. Our findings emphasized women with diagnosed MASLD had a better quality of the daily diet than women who were unaware of having MASLD. However, we noted no significant difference in HEI-related factors between men who were unaware of having MASLD and those with diagnosed MASLD.