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Dietary Patterns and Intrinsic Capacity in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

  • Original Research
  • Published:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

Few studies have investigated the link between diet and intrinsic capacity (IC), and the potential sex difference in such association. This study examined the association between dietary patterns and IC and its sub-domains in Chinese community-dwelling older adults.

Design

Cross-sectional analysis using baseline data from the MrOs and MsOs study.

Setting

Community.

Participants

Chinese community-dwelling older adults aged ≥65 years in Hong Kong.

Measurements

Dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire and priori and posteriori dietary pattern scores were generated. IC including measures of cognitive, locomotor, vitality, sensory and psychological domains was assessed. Multiple logistic regression was performed to examine the associations between dietary pattern scores and the likelihood of greater IC and sub-domain scores with adjustment for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.

Results

Data of 3730 participants (aged 72.2±5.0 years, 50.4% men) was available. In men, higher Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) and Okinawan diet scores, and lower “meat-fish” pattern scores were associated with greater IC. A higher DQI-I score was associated with greater locomotion, whereas higher “snacks-drinks-milk products” pattern score was associated with a greater sensory function. In women, none of the dietary pattern scores was associated with IC. Higher DQI-I score, Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay Diet (MIND) score and “vegetables-fruits” pattern score were associated with greater psychological function.

Conclusion

Various dietary patterns were associated with greater IC and its sub-domains in Chinese community-dwelling older adults, and more associations were observed in men than women. Strategies to improve diet and IC should take sex differences into account.

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Funding

This work was supported by grants from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The funder had no role in study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, writing of the report, and in the decision to submit the article for publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Suey S. Y. Yeung, D. Sin, R. Yu & J. Woo

  2. Centre for Nutritional Studies, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    D. Sin & J. Woo

  3. Jockey Club Institute of Ageing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    R. Yu

  4. Jockey Club Centre for Osteoporosis Care and Control, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    J. Leung

  5. Department of Medicine & Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China

    Suey S. Y. Yeung

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  1. Suey S. Y. Yeung
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Correspondence to Suey S. Y. Yeung.

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This study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. All participants provided written informed consent.

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Yeung, S.S.Y., Sin, D., Yu, R. et al. Dietary Patterns and Intrinsic Capacity in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study. J Nutr Health Aging 26, 174–182 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-022-1742-7

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