Association Between the Dietary Inflammatory Index and Obesity in Peruvian Adults Aged 18 to 59 Years: Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

Aparco J.P.; Cárdenas-Quintana H. · Revista Espanola de Nutricion Humana y Dietetica (2026) · DOI: 10.14306/renhyd.30.1.2645

Resumen

Introduction: The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) is a parameter that assesses diet quality through its inflammatory load and helps prevent the burden of non-communicable diseases. In Peru, there are no reports on the inflammatory capacity of the diet. Objective: To determine the association between the DII and obesity and abdominal obesity in Peruvian adults aged 18 to 59 years, using data from the 2017–2018 Food and Nutritional Surveillance by Life Stage Survey (VIANEV). Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted, applying the DII to assess the inflammatory potential of the diet. The DII was calculated from 24-hour dietary recalls, standardizing consumption against global referent values and summing inflammatory scores. Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 and abdominal obesity as a waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) ≥0.5. Multivariable Poisson regression models were applied, and prevalence ratios (PR) are reported. Results: The prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity was 26.8% (95% CI: 22.3–29.2) and 85.4% (95% CI: 82.8–87.8), respectively. After adjusting for sex, age, and geographic domain, adults in the highest DII quartile had twice the prevalence of obesity (PR: 2.01; 95% CI: 1.17–2.36) and 2.71 times the prevalence of abdominal obesity (PR: 2.71; 95% CI: 1.56–3.21) compared to the lowest quartile. Conclusions: Consumption of a diet with a higher inflammatory score is associated with a greater likelihood of obesity and abdominal obesity. These findings highlight the importance of anti-inflammatory diets in obesity prevention in Peru and suggest the need for interventions based on national dietary guidelines. © (2026), (Asociacion Espanola de Dietistas-Nutricionistas). All rights reserved.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina