Objective: To examine the dietary intake of total sugar, added sugar, non-added sugar and starch as well as dietary fibre and glycaemic index (GI) and their respective associations with insulin resistance.
Design: Mixed linear models were used to study both cross-sectional and prospective associations between carbohydrate components and insulin resistance separately in girls and boys. Diet was assessed by a single 24 h recall interview and insulin resistance was calculated using the homoestasis model assessment (HOMA).
Setting: The Danish part of the European Youth Heart Studies (EYHS) I and II.
Subjects: Girls and boys at 8–10 and 14–16 years from EYHS I (n 651) and 8–10-year olds from baseline followed up 6 years later in EYHS II (n 233).
Results: Among girls, a difference in dietary total sugar of 43 g/MJ was associated with a 1 SD difference of HOMA and a difference in dietary fibre of 28g/MJ was associated with a 1 SD difference of HOMA, independent of age, maturity and other confounders (both P50?03). No baseline associations were found among boys and no prospective associations were found in either sex.
Conclusions: Dietary intake of total sugar may play an adverse role and fibre may play a beneficial role in concurrent insulin resistance among girls but not boys. Sex differences may be due to differences in maturity, physical activity, food patterns
and selective reporting behaviours.