A Prospective Investigation of Dietary Intake and Functional Impairments among the Elderly

Abstract

Limited information is available in Asian populations regarding the association of dietary intake and patterns with age-related functional impairments. Using data from two population-based cohort studies, the Shanghai Women's Health Study (1996-2015) and Shanghai Men's Health Study (2002-2015), we prospectively examined adherence to dietary guidelines, including the Chinese Food Pagoda, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, as well as specific food consumption, for their associations with impairment in function, both physical (walking, hearing/vision) and mental (memory, decision-making). Included in the analyses were 30,484 participants who had been followed up for an average of 14.4 years and were between the ages of 70 and 86 at the functional status assessment. Higher dietary recommendation adherence scores were associated with a lower likelihood of developing functional impairments. The odds ratios ranged from 0.61 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.54, 0.70) to 0.83 (95% CI: 0.72, 0.95) when extreme quintiles were compared. Higher fish, poultry, vegetable and fruit intake, moderate red meat intake, and low rice consumption were associated with a reduced probability of having physical or mental impairments. Our findings highlight the importance of a high quality diet in maintaining functional status among the aged population.