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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.

Sec. Nutrition and Metabolism

Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1664091

The Association between Global and Prime Diet Quality Scores and the Odds of Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD): A Case-Control Study

Provisionally accepted
Georgios  ZacharakisGeorgios Zacharakis1*Hanan  AlyamiHanan Alyami2Tariq  AlrasheedTariq Alrasheed3Naif  S AlmutairiNaif S Almutairi4Gaber Mohamed  Gomaa ShehabGaber Mohamed Gomaa Shehab5Mohamed Goda  ElbqryMohamed Goda Elbqry6Majid  Ali AlotniMajid Ali Alotni6
  • 1Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University College of Medicine, Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia
  • 2Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • 3University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
  • 4Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
  • 5Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
  • 6Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Background: Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, closely linked to poor dietary habits, obesity, and metabolic dysfunction. The Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) and Prime Diet Quality Score (PDQS) are newly developed tools that assess diet quality across diverse populations. However, evidence on their relationship with MAFLD remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the association between GDQS and PDQS and the odds of MAFLD using a case-control design. Methods: We conducted a case-control investigation at Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University Hospital, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia, with participant enrollment from February 2023 to January 2025. The study cohort consisted of 225 cases and 225 controls. Dietary intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire to calculate GDQS and PDQS. Cases and controls were matched by age (±3 year). Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Cases had lower GDQS and PDQS scores compared to controls (p < 0.001), with higher consumption of refined grains and sugar-sweetened beverages, and lower intake of fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Each 1-SD increase in the GDQS and PDQS was associated with approximately 40% lower odds of MAFLD (OR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.79 and OR = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.79, respectively). Conclusion: Higher GDQS and PDQS scores are associated with reduced MAFLD risk, suggesting that improving diet quality could be a key strategy for MAFLD prevention in clinical and public health settings.

Keywords: metabolic-associated fatty liver disease, MAFLD, Global diet quality score, GDQS, Prime Diet Quality Score (PDQS)

Received: 11 Jul 2025; Accepted: 29 Sep 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Zacharakis, Alyami, Alrasheed, Almutairi, Gomaa Shehab, Elbqry and Ali Alotni. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Georgios Zacharakis, georgios.zacharakis.research@gmail.com

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