Sex differences in the relationship between dietary pattern adherence and cognitive function among older adults: Findings from the NuAge study
Background: Consumption of a prudent dietary pattern rich in healthy nutrients is associated with enhanced cognitive performance in older adulthood, while a Western dietary pattern low in healthy nutrients is associated with poor age-related cognitive function. Sex differences exist in dietary intake among older adults; however, there is a paucity of research examining the relationship between sex-specific dietary patterns and cognitive function in later life.
Methods: The current study aimed to investigate sex differences in the relationship between sex-specific dietary pattern adherence and global cognitive function at baseline and over a 3-year follow-up in 1268 community-dwelling older adults (Mage=74 years, n = 664 women, n = 612 men) from the Quebec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Successful Aging (NuAge). A 78-item Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to estimate dietary intake over the previous year. Sex-specific dietary pattern scores were derived using principal component analysis. Global cognition was assessed using the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS).
Results: Adjusted linear mixed effects models indicated that a healthy, prudent dietary pattern was not associated with baseline cognitive performance in men or women. No relationship was found between Western dietary pattern adherence and baseline cognitive function in women. Among men, adherence to an unhealthy, Western dietary pattern was associated with poorer baseline cognitive function (b = -0.652, p = 0.02, 95% CI [-1.22, -0.65]). No association was found between prudent or Western dietary patterns and cognitive change over time in men or women.
Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of conducting sex-based analyses in aging research and suggest that the relationship between dietary pattern adherence and cognitive function in late life may be sex-dependent.
Posted 28 May, 2020
On 20 Jun, 2020
On 12 Jun, 2020
Received 12 Jun, 2020
On 08 Jun, 2020
Received 06 Jun, 2020
On 25 May, 2020
On 20 May, 2020
Invitations sent on 20 May, 2020
On 20 May, 2020
Received 20 May, 2020
On 19 May, 2020
On 19 May, 2020
On 13 May, 2020
Received 05 May, 2020
Received 04 May, 2020
On 15 Apr, 2020
On 13 Apr, 2020
On 13 Apr, 2020
On 10 Apr, 2020
Received 29 Mar, 2020
On 26 Mar, 2020
Invitations sent on 28 Feb, 2020
On 27 Feb, 2020
On 26 Feb, 2020
On 25 Feb, 2020
On 20 Feb, 2020
Sex differences in the relationship between dietary pattern adherence and cognitive function among older adults: Findings from the NuAge study
Posted 28 May, 2020
On 20 Jun, 2020
On 12 Jun, 2020
Received 12 Jun, 2020
On 08 Jun, 2020
Received 06 Jun, 2020
On 25 May, 2020
On 20 May, 2020
Invitations sent on 20 May, 2020
On 20 May, 2020
Received 20 May, 2020
On 19 May, 2020
On 19 May, 2020
On 13 May, 2020
Received 05 May, 2020
Received 04 May, 2020
On 15 Apr, 2020
On 13 Apr, 2020
On 13 Apr, 2020
On 10 Apr, 2020
Received 29 Mar, 2020
On 26 Mar, 2020
Invitations sent on 28 Feb, 2020
On 27 Feb, 2020
On 26 Feb, 2020
On 25 Feb, 2020
On 20 Feb, 2020
Background: Consumption of a prudent dietary pattern rich in healthy nutrients is associated with enhanced cognitive performance in older adulthood, while a Western dietary pattern low in healthy nutrients is associated with poor age-related cognitive function. Sex differences exist in dietary intake among older adults; however, there is a paucity of research examining the relationship between sex-specific dietary patterns and cognitive function in later life.
Methods: The current study aimed to investigate sex differences in the relationship between sex-specific dietary pattern adherence and global cognitive function at baseline and over a 3-year follow-up in 1268 community-dwelling older adults (Mage=74 years, n = 664 women, n = 612 men) from the Quebec Longitudinal Study on Nutrition and Successful Aging (NuAge). A 78-item Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to estimate dietary intake over the previous year. Sex-specific dietary pattern scores were derived using principal component analysis. Global cognition was assessed using the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS).
Results: Adjusted linear mixed effects models indicated that a healthy, prudent dietary pattern was not associated with baseline cognitive performance in men or women. No relationship was found between Western dietary pattern adherence and baseline cognitive function in women. Among men, adherence to an unhealthy, Western dietary pattern was associated with poorer baseline cognitive function (b = -0.652, p = 0.02, 95% CI [-1.22, -0.65]). No association was found between prudent or Western dietary patterns and cognitive change over time in men or women.
Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of conducting sex-based analyses in aging research and suggest that the relationship between dietary pattern adherence and cognitive function in late life may be sex-dependent.