Association Between the Korean Healthy Eating Index and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein: A Nationally Representative Study in South Korea, 2022–2024
4 affiliations
- 1Graduate School, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
- 2Institute for Innovation in Digital Healthcare, Yonsei University Health System, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
- 3The Institute for Occupational Health, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
- 4Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
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. Results: In the overall sample, 74.47%, 18.75%, and 6.78% of participants were classified as having low, intermediate, and high hs-CRP levels, respectively. Compared with the lowest KHEI quartile (Q1), participants in Q2, Q3, and Q4 had adjusted ORs (95% CIs) of 0.98 (0.85–1.14), 0.91 (0.78–1.05), and 0.75 (0.64–0.87), respectively, for intermediate hs-CRP levels. For high hs-CRP levels, participants in Q2, Q3, and Q4 had ORs (95% CIs) of 0.81 (0.65–1.01), 0.74 (0.58–0.93), and 0.68 (0.53–0.87), respectively, compared with Q1. Conclusions: Higher KHEI scores was associated with lower odds of having high hs-CRP levels. Prospective studies are needed to analyze the temporal relationship.
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BibTeX
@article{baek2026association,
title = {{Association Between the Korean Healthy Eating Index and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein: A Nationally Representative Study in South Korea, 2022–2024}},
author = {Seong-Uk Baek and Jin-Ha Yoon},
journal = {Nutrients},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/nu18203356},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/20/3356},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Association Between the Korean Healthy Eating Index and High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein: A Nationally Representative Study in South Korea, 2022–2024
AU - Seong-Uk Baek
AU - Jin-Ha Yoon
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Nutrients
DO - 10.3390/nu18203356
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/20/3356
AB - 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. Results: In the overall sample, 74.47%, 18.75%, and 6.78% of participants were classified as having low, intermediate, and high hs-CRP levels, respectively. Compared with the lowest KHEI quartile (Q1), participants in Q2, Q3, and Q4 had adjusted ORs (95% CIs) of 0.98 (0.85–1.14), 0.91 (0.78–1.05), and 0.75 (0.64–0.87), respectively, for intermediate hs-CRP levels. For high hs-CRP levels, participants in Q2, Q3, and Q4 had ORs (95% CIs) of 0.81 (0.65–1.01), 0.74 (0.58–0.93), and 0.68 (0.53–0.87), respectively, compared with Q1. Conclusions: Higher KHEI scores was associated with lower odds of having high hs-CRP levels. Prospective studies are needed to analyze the temporal relationship.
SN - 2072-6643
ER -