Mia-Maria Perälä1, Mikaela B von Bonsdorff2, Satu Männistö3, Minna K Salonen4, Mika Simonen5, Pertti Pohjolainen6, Eero Kajantie7, Taina Rantanen8, Johan G Eriksson9. 1. Department of Public Health Solutions, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: mia.perala@thl.fi. 2. Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland; Gerontology Research Center, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland. 3. Department of Public Health Solutions, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland. 4. Department of Public Health Solutions, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland. 5. Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. 6. Age Institute, Helsinki, Finland. 7. Department of Public Health Solutions, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; PEDEGO Research Unit, MRC Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland. 8. Gerontology Research Center, Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland. 9. Department of Public Health Solutions, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Folkhälsan Research Center, Helsinki, Finland; Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Unit of General Practice, Helsinki, Finland; Vaasa Central Hospital, Vaasa, Finland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/ OBJECTIVE: Diet has a major impact on a person's health. However, limited information exists on the long-term role of the whole diet on disability. We investigated the association of the healthy Nordic diet and the Mediterranean diet with incident disability 10 years later. DESIGN: Longitudinal, with a follow-up of 10 years. SETTINGS/PARTICIPANTS: A total of 962 home-dwelling men and women from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study, mean age 61.6 years, who were free of disability at baseline. MEASUREMENTS: At baseline, 2001-2004, the Nordic diet score (NDS) and modified Mediterranean diet score (mMDS) were calculated using a validated 128-item food-frequency questionnaire. Higher scores indicated better adherence to the diet. Participants' incident disability was assessed during 2011-2013 by a self-reported questionnaire and was based on mobility limitations and difficulties to perform self-care activities. Analyses were performed using logistic regression and adjusted for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: In total, 94 participants (9.8%) developed mobility limitations and 45 participants (4.7%) developed difficulties in self-care activities during 10 year follow-up. The likelihood of having mobility limitations (odds ratio (OR) 0.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22-0.80) and difficulties in self-care activities (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.15-0.94) were lower among those in the highest NDS tertile than among those in the lowest NDS tertile. Greater mMDS was associated with a lower disability incidence; however, the association was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Adherence to the healthy Nordic diet predicts 10-year incidence of mobility limitations and difficulties to perform self-care activities in old age and may thus be protective against disability in Nordic population.
BACKGROUND/ OBJECTIVE: Diet has a major impact on a person's health. However, limited information exists on the long-term role of the whole diet on disability. We investigated the association of the healthy Nordic diet and the Mediterranean diet with incident disability 10 years later. DESIGN: Longitudinal, with a follow-up of 10 years. SETTINGS/PARTICIPANTS: A total of 962 home-dwelling men and women from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study, mean age 61.6 years, who were free of disability at baseline. MEASUREMENTS: At baseline, 2001-2004, the Nordic diet score (NDS) and modified Mediterranean diet score (mMDS) were calculated using a validated 128-item food-frequency questionnaire. Higher scores indicated better adherence to the diet. Participants' incident disability was assessed during 2011-2013 by a self-reported questionnaire and was based on mobility limitations and difficulties to perform self-care activities. Analyses were performed using logistic regression and adjusted for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: In total, 94 participants (9.8%) developed mobility limitations and 45 participants (4.7%) developed difficulties in self-care activities during 10 year follow-up. The likelihood of having mobility limitations (odds ratio (OR) 0.42, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22-0.80) and difficulties in self-care activities (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.15-0.94) were lower among those in the highest NDS tertile than among those in the lowest NDS tertile. Greater mMDS was associated with a lower disability incidence; however, the association was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Adherence to the healthy Nordic diet predicts 10-year incidence of mobility limitations and difficulties to perform self-care activities in old age and may thus be protective against disability in Nordic population.