Nutrients
Association Between the Korean Healthy Eating Index and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein: A Nationally Representative Study in South Korea, 2022–2024
By Seong‐Uk Baek and Jin-Ha Yoon.
Abstract
Background
Maintaining favorable dietary quality may play an important role in disease prevention, and the mitigation of inflammation is considered a key mechanism. Although the association between dietary quality and inflammation has been reported, evidence from South Korea remains limited. Therefore, this study examined the association between the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels.
Methods
We analyzed a nationally representative sample of 14,050 adults in South Korea. The 14-item KHEI was measured on a scale of 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better dietary quality, and was categorized into quartiles (Q1–Q4). Serum hs-CRP levels (mg/L) were categorized into low (<1), intermediate (1–<3), and high (≥3) categories. Multinomial logistic regressions were employed to determine the association of KHEI with hs-CRP levels, with the low hs-CRP group as the reference category. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated.