Pickle Consumption is Associated with Body Mass Index and Blood Pressure among Iranian Female College Students: a Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT

Pickle is consumed in high amount among Iranians. Pickle consumption may be related to body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) but limited evidence exist in this regard. The aim of current study was to determine the association between pickle consumption and risk of overweight, central obesity and BP among Isfahanian female youths. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 289 female students aged 18–27 years randomly selected from students of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. Diet was assessed by a validated and reliable food-frequency questionnaire. Mean pickle consumption was 15.1 ± 2.2 g/day. Individuals in the highest tertile of pickle consumption had a significantly higher BMI, systolic and diastolic BP (p = 0.001, 0.03, and 0.03, respectively), whereas we did not observe significant association for waist circumference (p = 0.21). Total energy intake (p = 0.02) and consumption of carbohydrate (p = 0.01), protein (p = 0.03), and fat (p = 0.05) in the upper tertile was higher than lower tertiles. There was a significant association between pickle consumption and obesity and BP among Iranian female youths. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm this association.