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Chocolate and health-related quality of life: a prospective study - PubMed

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Clinical Trial

Chocolate and health-related quality of life: a prospective study

Teresa Balboa-Castillo et al. PLoS One. 2015.

Abstract

Background: Chocolate consumption has been associated with a short-term reduction in blood pressure and cholesterol, and improvement of insulin sensitivity; however, participants could not be aware of presenting hypertension or hypercholesterolemia. Moreover, the effect of chocolate on mental health is uncertain. This study assessed the association of regular chocolate consumption with the physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) components of health-related quality of life (HRQL).

Materials and methods: We analyzed data from a cohort of 4599 individuals recruited in 2008-2010 and followed-up once prospectively to January 2013 (follow-up mean: 3.5 years). Regular chocolate consumption was assessed at baseline with a validated diet history. HRQL was assessed with the SF-12 v.2 at baseline and at follow-up. Analyses were performed with linear regression and adjusted for the main confounders, including HRQL at baseline.

Results: At baseline, 72% of the study participants did not consume chocolate, 11% consumed ≤10 g/day and 17% >10 g/day. Chocolate consumption at baseline did not show an association with PCS and MCS of the SF-12 measured three years later. Compared to those who did not consume chocolate, the PCS scores were similar in those who consumed ≤10 g/day (beta: -0.07; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): -0.94 to 0.80) and in those who consumed >10 g/day (beta: 0.02; 95% CI:-0.71 to 0.75); corresponding figures for the MCS were 0.29; 95% CI: -0.67 to 1.26, and -0.57; 95%CI: -1.37 to 0.23. Similar results were found for sex, regardless of obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes or depression.

Conclusions: No evidence was found of an association between chocolate intake and the physical or mental components of HRQL.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Grants and funding

Baseline data collection (ENRICA study) was funded by Sanofi-Aventis. Data collection during follow-up was funded by FIS grant 09/162 (Ministry of Health of Spain). Funding specific for this analysis was obtained from FIS grants PI11/01379 and PI12/1166 (Ministry of Health of Spain), and from the "Cátedra UAM de Epidemiología y Control del Riesgo Cardiovascular". The study funders had no role in study design or in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data. The authors have sole responsibility for the manuscript content. This does not alter the authors’ adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.