• diet quality
• osteoarthritis
• older adults
• obese
• diet
• overweight

The concept of diet quality reflects the dietary guidance principles of macronutrient distribution, moderation, variety, and proportionality. The primary aim of this study was to assess the effect of the exercise and dietary weight-loss interventions employed in ADAPT on diet quality. The Arthritis, Diet, and Activity Promotion Trial (ADAPT) was a single-blinded, 18-month randomized controlled trial with a primary aim to determine the relative efficacy of weight loss, exercise, and their combination in reducing disability and pain in older, obese, sedentary adults with knee osteoarthritis. There were four arms to the study: Healthy Lifestyle Controls (HL), Dietary Weight Loss (Diet), Exercise (Exercise), or combined Exercise and Dietary Weight Loss (Exercise-Diet). Only one-third of the eligible participants were randomized and scheduled to have dietary assessment performed. Descriptive statistics, frequencies, and an ANCOVA were used to determine characteristics of the population and any changes in diet quality at the end of the intervention. At 18 months, the mean diet quality score of all participants was 65.77. There was no effect of the interventions on the diet quality index. In addition, there was no interactive effect of the interventions. Although there were no differences in diet and exercise effects in body weight at eighteen months, there was a difference in percent weight loss. As expected, a greater loss was observed for groups receiving the dietary treatment.