Investigation of the relationship between dietary inflammatory index and hedonic hunger with biochemical parameters, emotions and nutritional status in women with primary hypothyroidism

In this study, it was aimed to examine the relationship between dietary inflammatory index, adherence to Mediterranean diet, hedonic hunger level, and emotional and nutritional status of women diagnosed with primary hypothyroidism and a control group of healthy women. The study was conducted with 61 adult female patients aged 19-64 years who applied to the endocrinology and metabolism outpatient clinic of a state hospital in Niğde between January and December 2022, at least 3 months after being diagnosed with primary hypothyroidism by a physician, with or without drug treatment. Sixty-one healthy female without any disease were selected as the control group. A questionnaire form was applied to determine the socio-demographic characteristics, general health information and dietary habits of the individuals. Individual's anthropometric measurements, some biochemical findings, food consumption frequencies and three-day food consumption record were evaluated. Dietary inflammatory indices (DII) were calculated using food consumption records. The 24-hour physical activity form was used to determine the physical activity levels of the individuals, the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Scale (MEDAS) was used to determine their adherence to the Mediterranean diet, the Food Power Scale (PFS) was used to determine their hedonic hunger status, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to determine their depression, anxiety and stress levels. The mean age of the individuals with primary hypothyroidism who participated in the study was 39,9±12,63 years, while the mean age of the control group was 37,0±11,15 years(p>0,05). Body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, neck circumference, upper middle arm circumference, and waist /height ratio values of individuals in the working group were found to be higher than those in the control group(p<0,05). The DII values of the individuals in the study group ranged between -3.45 and 4.01 and the mean DII values was -0.2±1.89, while those in the control group ranged between -4.32 and 4.29 and the mean DII value was -0.1±2.19(p>0.05). The median MEDAS score was 6.00(5-7) points in the study group and 7.00(6-8) points in the control group (p<0.05). The first of the PFS sub-factors "food available" scores were found to be higher in the study group compared to the control group(p<0.05). The total score of the PFS and the scores of its sub-factors "food present" and "food tasted" were found to be similar (p>0.05). The median anxiety and stress scores of the individuals in the study group were higher than those in the control group (p<0.05). The depression, anxiety and stress median scores of the individuals in the study group and the control group were found to be similar according to DII quartiles. In conclusion, women with primary hypothyroidism had lower levels of adherence to the Mediterranean diet and higher levels of anxiety and stress.