000171179 001__ 171179 000171179 005__ 20260515163945.0 000171179 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.1038/s41390-026-04889-6 000171179 0248_ $$2sideral$$a149156 000171179 037__ $$aART-2026-149156 000171179 041__ $$aeng 000171179 100__ $$aGheorghita, Irina 000171179 245__ $$aAssociation between dietary patterns and cardiometabolic health in children: findings from the Childhood Obesity Risk Assessment Longitudinal Study (CORALS) cohort 000171179 260__ $$c2026 000171179 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted 000171179 5203_ $$aBackground: Dietary habits influence health from childhood, with effects that may persist throughout life. This study aimed to investigate the association between dietary patterns and cardiometabolic risk markers in early childhood. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed within the Childhood Obesity Risk Assessment Longitudinal Study (CORALS) cohort. Diet was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns were extracted using exploratory factor analysis. Cardiometabolic risk was analysed through internal z-scores, body mass index (BMIz), systolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol (HDLz), triglycerides and HOMA-IR, and multi-adjusted linear regression models were performed. Results: The analysis included 1426 participants (median age 4.95 years). Two dietary patterns (DPs) were identified: “Core-foods DP” (high in vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, fish and white meat) and “Poor-quality DP” (rich in flavoured dairy products, processed meat, pastries, sweets, snacks, precooked foods, other oils and soft drinks). Core-foods DP was inversely associated with BMIz (B = -0.07, p = 0.034), meanwhile the Poor-quality DP was directly associated with triglycerides (B = 0.09, p = 0.015) and higher overweight odds (OR:1.33; 95% CI:1.13–1.56), and inversely with HDLz (B = −0.08, p = 0.036). Conclusion: Poor-quality DP was directly associated with cardiometabolic risk markers in preschool-aged children, emphasizing the importance of diet in preventing the early onset of obesity and cardiometabolic disorders. Impact: This study highlights the impact of dietary patterns on cardiometabolic health in preschool children. A poor-quality dietary pattern is directly associated with BMI and triglycerides and inversely associated with HDL cholesterol, which may contribute to a worse cardiometabolic profile. In contrast, adherence to a core-foods pattern is inversely associated with BMI. These findings reinforce the importance of early nutrition education in preventing obesity and cardiometabolic disorders. This article provides evidence of diet-related metabolic risks in early life to limited existing literature and the need for interventions that promote healthier eating habits from an early age to improve long-term health outcomes. 000171179 536__ $$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/ISCIII/FI22-00166 000171179 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess$$aAll rights reserved$$uhttp://www.europeana.eu/rights/rr-f/ 000171179 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion 000171179 700__ $$aGispert-Llauradó, Mariona 000171179 700__ $$aEscribano, Joaquin 000171179 700__ $$aJurado-Castro, Jose Manuel 000171179 700__ $$aBabio, Nancy 000171179 700__ $$aLeis, Rosaura 000171179 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0003-0454-653X$$aMoreno, Luis A.$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000171179 700__ $$aNavas-Carretero, Santiago 000171179 700__ $$aCorella, Dolores 000171179 700__ $$aMoreira, Ana 000171179 700__ $$aCastro-Collado, Cristina 000171179 700__ $$aVázquez-Cobela, Rocío 000171179 700__ $$aAlcázar, Mireia 000171179 700__ $$aMiguel-Berges, María L.$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000171179 700__ $$aMartinez, J. Alfredo 000171179 700__ $$aPastor-Villaescusa, Belén 000171179 700__ $$aPicáns-Leis, Rosaura 000171179 700__ $$aMimbrero, Gisela 000171179 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0001-6173-5850$$aDe Miguel-Etayo, Pilar 000171179 700__ $$aFlores-Rojas, Katherine 000171179 700__ $$aGil-Campos, Mercedes 000171179 700__ $$aSalas-Salvadó, Jordi 000171179 700__ $$aLuque, Veronica 000171179 700__ $$aSchröder, Helmut 000171179 700__ $$aFitó, Montse 000171179 700__ $$aPérez-Vega, Karla A. 000171179 700__ $$aSolis Baltodano, Mayela 000171179 700__ $$aMuñoz-Aguayo, Daniel 000171179 700__ $$aBlanchart, Gemma 000171179 700__ $$aGaixas, Sònia 000171179 700__ $$aZomeño, María Dolores 000171179 700__ $$aLorenzo, Isaury 000171179 700__ $$aGil-Campos, Mercedes 000171179 700__ $$aJurado-Castro, José Manuel 000171179 700__ $$aPastor-Villaescusa, Belén 000171179 700__ $$aLlorente-Cantarero, Francisco Jesús 000171179 700__ $$aDe La Torre-Aguilar, María José 000171179 700__ $$aVelasco Aguayo, Inmaculada 000171179 700__ $$aNavas-Carretero, Santiago 000171179 700__ $$aMartínez, J. Alfredo 000171179 700__ $$aMoreno-Aliaga, Maria Jesús 000171179 700__ $$ade Cuevillas García, Begoña 000171179 700__ $$aVázquez-Bolea, Natalia 000171179 700__ $$aGoñi, María 000171179 700__ $$aHernández, María 000171179 700__ $$aPérez Diez, Salomé 000171179 700__ $$aCristobo, Carmen 000171179 700__ $$aBabio, Nancy 000171179 700__ $$aSalas-Salvadó, Jordi 000171179 700__ $$aEscribano, Joaquín 000171179 700__ $$aLuque, Veronica 000171179 700__ $$aFerré, Natalia 000171179 700__ $$aGheorghita, Irina 000171179 700__ $$aFeliu, Albert 000171179 700__ $$aClosa, Ricardo 000171179 700__ $$aAlcázar, Mireia 000171179 700__ $$aMartín, Francisco 000171179 700__ $$aRey, Cristina 000171179 700__ $$aMimbrero, Gisela 000171179 700__ $$aPedraza, Ana 000171179 700__ $$aSalvadó, Olga 000171179 700__ $$aRuiz Velasco, Marta 000171179 700__ $$aBilbao Sustacha, José Ángel 000171179 700__ $$aHerranz Pinilla, Yolanda 000171179 700__ $$aRios, Lidia 000171179 700__ $$aPascual Compte, María 000171179 700__ $$aGarcidueñas-Fimbres, Tany E. 000171179 700__ $$aGómez-Martínez, Carlos 000171179 700__ $$ade las Heras-Delgado, Sara 000171179 700__ $$aSimón, Olga 000171179 700__ $$ade la Torre, Sònia 000171179 700__ $$aTudela, Càrol 000171179 700__ $$aValero Sales, Júlia 000171179 700__ $$aMoroño García, Sara 000171179 700__ $$aLeis, Rosaura 000171179 700__ $$aRomero Agrelo, Anabel 000171179 700__ $$aPicáns-Leis, Rosaura 000171179 700__ $$aGarcía-García, Eva 000171179 700__ $$aMosteiro-Losada, Sofia 000171179 700__ $$aPortoles, Olga 000171179 700__ $$aCodoñer Franch, Pilar 000171179 700__ $$aCorella, Dolores 000171179 700__ $$aMartín Carbonell, Vanessa 000171179 700__ $$aSorlí, José V. 000171179 700__ $$aMoreno, Luis A. 000171179 700__ $$aDe Miguel-Etayo, Pilar 000171179 700__ $$aMiguel-Berges, María Luisa 000171179 700__ $$aSantaliestra-Pasias, Alba Mª 000171179 700__ $$aArgente-Arizon, Pilar 000171179 700__ $$aGimenez-Legarre, Natalia 000171179 700__ $$aFlores-Barrantes, Paloma 000171179 700__ $$aPérez-Gimeno, Gloria 000171179 700__ $$aSeral-Cortés, Miguel 000171179 700__ $$aJimeno-Martínez, Andrea 000171179 700__ $$aManeschy, Ivie 000171179 700__ $$aBenedicto, Isabel 000171179 7102_ $$11006$$2255$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Fisiatría y Enfermería$$cÁrea Enfermería 000171179 7102_ $$11011$$2615$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Microb.Ped.Radio.Sal.Pú.$$cÁrea Medic.Prevent.Salud Públ. 000171179 773__ $$g(2026), [34 pp.]$$pPediatr. res.$$tPediatric research$$x0031-3998 000171179 787__ $$tSupplementary information$$whttps://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1038%2Fs41390-026-04889-6/MediaObjects/41390_2026_4889_MOESM1_ESM.pdf 000171179 8564_ $$s817084$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/171179/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yPostprint$$zinfo:eu-repo/date/embargoEnd/2026-10-14 000171179 8564_ $$s1387762$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/171179/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yPostprint$$zinfo:eu-repo/date/embargoEnd/2026-10-14 000171179 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:171179$$particulos$$pdriver 000171179 951__ $$a2026-05-15-14:54:31 000171179 980__ $$aARTICLE