The relationship between dietary patterns and aggressive behavior in adolescent girls: A cross-sectional study

Background There are few studies about the relationship between dietary patterns and aggression. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the main dietary patterns and aggression scores among adolescent girls in Iran. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted on 670 adolescent girls. The 168-item self-administered Semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to evaluate dietary intake and to identify major dietary patterns, while factor analysis was applied. Aggression was evaluated by the validated Persian version of the Buss-Perry questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed by crude and adjusted models. Results Three main dietary patterns including healthy, fast food, and Western were identified. A significant positive association was found between more adherence to Western dietary pattern and the presence of a high aggression score (OR: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.32-3.05, p-(trend =) .001); even after adjustment for potential confounders, these findings were significant. Conclusion Although Western dietary patterns were associated with increased aggression risk, there was no significant relationship between healthy and fast food dietary patterns and the prevalence of a high aggression score. Further studies, particularly longitudinal intervention studies, are required to clarify this relationship.