Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40848123›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of nutrition2025

Exploring the role of diet quality and adiposity in the pain experience: a mediation analysis.

Susan J Ward, Alison M Coates, Sharayah Carter, Katherine L Baldock, Ty E Stanford, Carolyn Berryman, Tasha R Stanton, Jonathan D Buckley, Alison M Hill

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of nutrition, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Susan J WardAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8068-1998
Alison M CoatesAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1031-2545
Sharayah CarterAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8169-4483
Katherine L BaldockAllied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3527-1057
Ty E StanfordAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8570-5493
Carolyn BerrymanAllied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5316-0847
Tasha R StantonAllied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7106-4456
Jonathan D BuckleyAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0298-2186
Alison M HillAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. alison.hill@unisa.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6732-4224

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeImproving diet quality may lower chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) directly or through weight loss. This study examined whether a dietary intervention for weight-loss improved diet quality and CMP in adults with elevated adiposity. It also investigated whether adiposity mediated a relationship between diet quality and pain.

methodsThis secondary analysis of data from another study included 104 Australian adults (25-65 years) with overweight/obesity (BMI, 27.5-34.9 kg/m

resultsParticipants improved diet quality (DGI total score) by 22% (p < 0.001) and achieved weight loss (- 7.1 ± 0.3 kg, 95% CI - 7.7, - 6.4). Presence of CMP reduced from 50 to 24% (p < 0.001). Pain-related quality of life improved, and pain severity lessened. Reductions in weight, WC, or BF did not mediate improvements in pain characteristics. Improved diet quality (∆DGI) was directly associated with lower pain severity (∆MPQ), accounting for reductions in the mediator, WC (β = - 0.085, 95% CI - 0.151, - 0.019) and BF (β = - 0.073, 95% CI - 0.135, - 0.012).

conclusionOn average, diet quality improved and pain lessened following a 3-month dietary intervention for weight-loss. Changes in adiposity did not mediate this relationship.

Indexed as

AdiposityDietMusculoskeletal PainObesityAdultAgedAustraliaFemaleHumansMaleMediation AnalysisMiddle AgedOverweightQuality of LifeWaist CircumferenceWeight LossAdiposityChronic musculoskeletal painDiet qualityMediation analysisWeight loss

Identifiers

PMID40848123
PMCPMC12374914

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.