Gaëlle Soriano1,2, Philippe Souto De Barreto3,4, Yves Rolland3,4, Marie Plessz5, Sabine Goisser3,6, Sophie Guyonnet3,4, Bertrand Fougère3, Bruno Vellas3,4, Sandrine Andrieu3,4, Sandrine Sourdet3,4. 1. Institut du Vieillissement, Gérontopôle, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, 37, Allées Jules Guesde, 31000, Toulouse, France. gasoriano@free.fr. 2. Inserm UMR1027, Université de Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France. gasoriano@free.fr. 3. Institut du Vieillissement, Gérontopôle, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, 37, Allées Jules Guesde, 31000, Toulouse, France. 4. Inserm UMR1027, Université de Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France. 5. Inra UR1303 Aliss, Ivry, France. 6. Institute for Biomedicine of Aging (IBA), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nuremberg, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate ready-meal consumption trends in older French people, its association with overall diet quality and obesity. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis SETTING: Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (MAPT), France SUBJECTS: 421 MAPT participants (mean age 76.8 years) who filled a food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: The frequency of ready-meal consumption was low, with nearly 90% of participants declaring consuming ≤ 1 ready-meal per week. Compared to non- and low-consumers (≤ 1 ready-meal/week), regular consumers (≥ 2 ready-meals/week) were older (p < 0.01), more often frail and pre-frail (p 0.04), with impaired cognition (p = 0.02) and functional status (p = 0.02), with more depressive symptoms (p = 0.03) and more difficulties with preparing meals (p = 0.01). Results from multivariate analyses showed that regular ready-meal consumption was not associated with obesity (p = 0.26) and diet quality (p = 0.37). CONCLUSIONS: In our sample, few older people declared consumption of 2 or more ready-meals per week, this consumption was not associated with a higher prevalence of obesity or a lower diet quality, despite the fact that these subject were older, with a lower physical and cognitive status. These findings suggest that, for these people with difficulties in meal preparation, convenience foods consumed occasionally could help to maintain diet quality and weight status.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate ready-meal consumption trends in older French people, its association with overall diet quality and obesity. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis SETTING: Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (MAPT), France SUBJECTS: 421 MAPT participants (mean age 76.8 years) who filled a food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: The frequency of ready-meal consumption was low, with nearly 90% of participants declaring consuming ≤ 1 ready-meal per week. Compared to non- and low-consumers (≤ 1 ready-meal/week), regular consumers (≥ 2 ready-meals/week) were older (p < 0.01), more often frail and pre-frail (p 0.04), with impaired cognition (p = 0.02) and functional status (p = 0.02), with more depressive symptoms (p = 0.03) and more difficulties with preparing meals (p = 0.01). Results from multivariate analyses showed that regular ready-meal consumption was not associated with obesity (p = 0.26) and diet quality (p = 0.37). CONCLUSIONS: In our sample, few older people declared consumption of 2 or more ready-meals per week, this consumption was not associated with a higher prevalence of obesity or a lower diet quality, despite the fact that these subject were older, with a lower physical and cognitive status. These findings suggest that, for these people with difficulties in meal preparation, convenience foods consumed occasionally could help to maintain diet quality and weight status.