Costs of Mediterranean and western dietary patterns in a Spanish cohort and their relationship with prospective weight change

Background:There is a scarcity of studies evaluating the relationship between food costs and adherence to different food patterns and obesity.Methods:This was a dynamic cohort of Spanish university graduates (n = 17 197 for the cross-sectional baseline assessment and n = 11 195 for the prospective follow-up analyses). Mean age was 38.6 (SD 12.2) years, and 60% of participants were women. A 136-item food frequency questionnaire previously validated in Spain was used. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to derive dietary patterns. Average cost of food was calculated from official Spanish government data. Self-reported weight was previously validated in the cohort. Body weight was assessed both at baseline and during follow-up.Results:PCA identified two dietary patterns, designated as western and Mediterranean. Participants with the highest scores on the western dietary pattern (fifth quintile vs first quintile) spent less money (–€0.64 (−$0.80) per 1000 kcal (95% CI −€0.68 to −€0.61, p for trend