Abstract
Objective
Το investigate associations between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and frailty
in a Greek population of older adults.
Design
Cross-sectional study.
Setting
Data were drawn from the Hellenic longitudinal Investigation of Aging and Diet (HELIAD),
a population-based, multidisciplinary study designed to estimate the prevalence and
incidence of dementia in the Greek population.
Participants
Data from 1740 participants aged ≥65 years were included in the present analysis.
Participants were selected through random sampling from the records of 2 Greek municipalities.
Measurements
Adherence to Mediterranean diet was evaluated through the MedDietScore, calculated
from the information participants provided to a validated food frequency questionnaire.
Frailty was assessed using 3 different definitions (the phenotypic approach proposed
by Fried et al, the Frailty Index, and the Tilburg Frailty Indicator). Unadjusted
and adjusted logistic and linear regression models were performed.
Results
Of our participants, 70 (4%), 325 (18.7%), and 442 (25.4%) were identified as frail
according to the Fried et al definition, the Frailty Index, and the Tilburg Frailty
Indicator, respectively. Adjusting for confounding factors, each additional unit in
the MedDietScore was associated with a 5% (P = .09), 4% (P = .005), and 7% (P < .001) decrease in the odds for frailty according to the Fried definition, the Frailty
Index, and the Tilburg Frailty Indicator, respectively.
Conclusions
According to study results, a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated
with lower odds of frailty, irrespective of the definition used. This finding may
be of relevance in the setting of population-based prevention efforts as well as in
clinical practice.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 27, 2017
Footnotes
Funding: This study was supported by the grants: IIRG-09-133014 from the Alzheimer's Association, 189 10276/8/9/2011 from the ESPA-EU program Excellence Grant (ARISTEIA), and the ΔΥ2β/οικ.51657/14.4.2009 of the Ministry for Health and Social Solidarity (Greece).
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© 2017 AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.
