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BMC Public Health
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Open Access 01-12-2024 | Systematic Review

Familial resemblance in dietary intake among singletons, twins, and spouses: a meta-analysis of family-based observations

Authors: Farshad Teymoori, Mahdi Akbarzadeh, Mostafa Norouzzadeh, Mitra Kazemi Jahromi, Hossein Farhadnejad, Niloufar Saber, Hamid Ahmadirad, Mina Jahangiri, Danial Habibi, Parisa Riahi, Ebrahim Mokhtari, Maryam Zarkesh, Maryam S. Daneshpour, Parvin Mirmiran, Mohammadreza Vafa

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2024

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Abstract

Background

Familial dietary intake can be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors; the current study aimed to examine the role of these two factors on dietary intake by investigating the resemblance in energy, nutrient, and food group intake among spouses and siblings in twin and family-based studies.

Methods

The online literature databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched up to September 2024. The pooled correlation coefficient (r) of studies was calculated using Fisher’s z and standard error (SE) of z’s of all studies and our final results were reported in six groups including non-twin siblings, monozygotic (MZ) twins, dizygotic (DZ) twins, all-twins, all siblings, and spouse.

Results

Our findings on 30 observational studies indicate that siblings, especially MZ twins, tend to have similar dietary intake, with high correlations for vegetables (r: 0.59), red meat (r: 0.58), and fruits (r: 0.56). Among DZ twins, the lowest correlations were observed for eggs (r: 0.07), soft drinks (r: 0.14), and daily intake of simple carbohydrates (r: 0.17). DZ twins did not show significant differences in dietary resemblance compared to non-twin siblings. Among spouses, the highest correlations for dietary intake were found for polyunsaturated fats (r: 0.41), saturated fats (r: 0.40), and total fats (r: 0.39), while the lowest correlation was for protein intake (r: 0.24).

Conclusions

While the greatest similarity in dietary intake was observed among MZ twins, no significant difference in dietary intake similarity was noted between DZ twins and non-twin siblings. Furthermore, spouses exhibited a significant degree of similarity in their dietary consumption. Therefore, dietary intake is shaped by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors, warranting further investigation to validate these observations.
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Metadata
Title
Familial resemblance in dietary intake among singletons, twins, and spouses: a meta-analysis of family-based observations
Authors
Farshad Teymoori
Mahdi Akbarzadeh
Mostafa Norouzzadeh
Mitra Kazemi Jahromi
Hossein Farhadnejad
Niloufar Saber
Hamid Ahmadirad
Mina Jahangiri
Danial Habibi
Parisa Riahi
Ebrahim Mokhtari
Maryam Zarkesh
Maryam S. Daneshpour
Parvin Mirmiran
Mohammadreza Vafa
Publication date
01-12-2024
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20798-x

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