ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of the dietary inflammatory index (DII) with the nutritional status and metabolic control of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study that examined data of children and adolescents ages 7 to 16 y diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Dietary intake was assessed using a 24-h dietary recall, from which the DII was calculated. The outcomes were body mass index, lipid profiles (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), and glycated hemoglobin. The DII was evaluated in tertiles and in a continuous way. Multiple linear regression was adopted in the analysis, with P < 0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: Overall, 120 children and adolescents with a mean age of 11.7 (± 2.8) y were included, 53.3% (n = 64) of whom were girls. Excess weight was present in 31.7% participants (n = 38). The average DII was +0.25, ranging from -1.11 to +2.67. Higher values of selenium (P = 0.011), zinc (P = 0.001), fiber (P < 0.001), and other micronutrients were observed in the first tertile of the DII (diet with more antiinflammatory potential). The DII appeared as a predictor of body mass index (P = 0.002; ß = 0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39-1.75) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = 0.034; ß = 0.19; 95% CI, -13.5 to 0.55). There was a tendency for DII to be associated with glycemic control (P = 0.09; ß = 0.19; 95% CI, -0.04 to 0.51). CONCLUSIONS: The inflammatory potential of the diet was associated with increased body mass index and aspects related to metabolic control in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus.