To determine the association between dietary fiber intake and markers of cardiometabolic risk in adolescents, with blood pressure (BP) as the primary outcome of interest and secondary outcome measures including other established markers of childhood cardiometabolic risk, such as obesity, lipids, albuminuria, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and uric acid.

Dietary fiber intake was assessed by two 24-hour dietary recall interviews, which were averaged and corrected for body weight. Logistic and linear regression models were used to analyze the cross-sectional association between dietary fiber and cardiometabolic markers. Participants aged 13-17 years in the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey 2009-2018 who completed a 24-hour dietary recall survey were included. Exclusion criteria included pregnancy, small for gestational age status, and history of major health comorbidities.

In fully adjusted regression models, low dietary fiber intake was significantly associated with greater diastolic blood pressure (β = −13.29; 95% CI, –20.66 to −5.93), body mass index z-score (β = −0.91; 95% CI, –1.47 to −0.34), and uric acid (β = −0.80; 95% CI, –1.44 to −0.16).

The association found between low dietary fiber intake and poor childhood cardiometabolic risk markers indicate a need for prospective studies using fiber intake as a dietary intervention in childhood and as a tool for prevention of many chronic conditions.