Association between Dietary Patterns and Frailty Prevalence in Shanghai Suburban Elders: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the association between dietary patterns with frailty phenotypes in an elderly Chinese population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed in 780 Shanghai suburban elders aged 65–74 in 2019. Dietary data were collected using a food frequency questionnaire. Adherence to a priori dietary patterns, including the Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and Mediterranean Diet (MD) were calculated. Three a posteriori dietary patterns were identified by factor analysis, namely, “protein-rich”; “vegetables”; and “sugar, oil, and condiments”. Frailty was defined using the Fried frailty phenotype scale. Ordinal multiple logistic regression was applied to examine the associations between dietary patterns and frailty prevalence. Results: The prevalences of pre-frailty and frailty were 47.69% and 3.85%, respectively. Participants with a higher DASH score had a lower frailty prevalence in the sex- and age-adjusted models of the 780 subjects (OR = 0.97 (95% CI: 0.94–0.99), p < 0.05). The association slightly strengthened in the multivariate adjusted model of the 555 subjects after excluding the participants with chronic diseases may influence frailty (OR = 0.96 (95% CI: 0.92–1.00), p < 0.05). High “protein-rich” dietary pattern scores were negatively associated with frailty prevalence in the multivariate adjusted model of the 780 subjects (OR = 0.82 (95% CI: 0.69–0.98), p < 0.05). The association attenuated in the sex- and age-adjusted model of the 555 subjects (OR = 0.84 (95% CI: 0.69–1.00, p = 0.056). Conclusion: A better diet quality as characterized by DASH and “protein-rich” was associated with a reduced prevalence of frailty in Shanghai suburban elders. The correlation of CHEI, MD or a posteriori dietary patterns with the development of frailty in Chinese older people remains to be explored.

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Incidence of Pre-Frailty and Frailty in Community-Dwelling Adults 70+: The 3-Year DO-HEALTH Study

“…In DO-HEALTH, dietary assessments were performed at baseline and at year three using the 216-item DO-HEALTH food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) designed for older adults. The FFQ structure was based on food groups, containing foods frequently consumed across Europe [ 28 ].…”

“…In several [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ], but not all [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ] observational studies, the Mediterranean diet was inversely associated with frailty status. However, among these prior studies, only one used repeated dietary assessments [ 22 ].…”

“…However, among these prior studies, only one used repeated dietary assessments [ 22 ]. Further, only a few studies [ 16 , 26 , 28 ] have investigated the association between the Mediterranean diet and pre-frailty, and all found no significant association.…”

Association of Pre-stroke Frailty With Prognosis of Elderly Patients With Acute Cerebral Infarction: A Cohort Study

“…A cross-sectional study based on Fried's frailty phenotype was used to assess frailty status was performed in 780 Shanghai suburban older adults aged 65–74 years in 2019. The percentages of robust, pre-frail, and frail were 48.46, 47.69, and 3.85% ( 14 ).…”

Study on the Association Between Dietary Habits, Patterns and Frailty of the Elderly: A Cross-Sectional Survey from Communities in China

“…The elderly in China tend to eat an Oriental diet, which consists of staple food and vegetables as the mainstay and less meat than other dietary patterns. Although there have been a few relevant studies, 8 , 9 there are no reports on dietary patterns and frailty among the elderly in northwestern China. The present study is the first to use the Fried Frailty Scale to assess frailty status among the elderly in middle-class communities in northwestern China.…”