Associations of the Dietary Diversity Score and Food Variety Score with Serum Magnesium and Ferritin Status

Introduction: Dietary diversity score (DDS) and Food variety score (FVS) are the appropriate measures used to evaluate the overall quality of dietary patterns. However, their associations with the serum levels of micronutrients remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the correlations between DDS/FVS and serum ferritin and magnesium status in the non-athlete females joining the sports clubs in Tehran, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted on 397 non-athlete women, who were members of the sports clubs in Tehran, Iran in 2013. Dietary intake was assessed using a 24-hour recall questionnaire. DDS and FVS were calculated and classified into two groups based on the guidelines of the minimum dietary diversity of women (MDD-W) and median, respectively. Serum ferritin was measured using the ELISA assay, and serum magnesium was measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results: Mean DDS and FVS was 5.7±1.4 (range: 2-9) and 15.3±4.7 (range: 5-32), respectively. After adjustment for the confounding factors, serum magnesium in the group with high FVS was significantly higher compared to the other group (P=0.01). In the group with high FVS, serum ferritin was also higher, and the difference was considered significant (P=0.058). In addition, linear regression analysis indicated a significant association between high FVS and serum magnesium level (P=0.02). However, no significant correlations were observed between the serum levels of micronutrients and DDS. Conclusion: According to the results, higher FVS may be associated with higher serum magnesium and ferritin levels. Further investigations are required to assess the correlations between DDS, FVS, and the status of serum micronutrients.