Dong Fureng Institute of Economics and Social Development, Wuhan University, Bayi Road, Wuhan, 430072, Hubei, China.
BMC Geriatr. 2024 Jan 12;24(1):55. doi: 10.1186/s12877-023-04630-6.
Numerous studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between diet quality and cognitive performance, indicating that improving diet quality may be beneficial in preventing cognitive decline in older adults. However, few study has investigated the causal relationship between diet quality and cognitive performance. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the causal effects of diet quality on cognitive performance in Chinese adults aged 55 years and older. Particularly, we utilize the Chinese Diet Quality Index (CHEI), a dietary assessment tool tailored for Chinese populations, as a proxy for older adults' diet quality.
Data were obtained from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]55 years old) conducted in 2004 and 2006. Cognitive function was tested by a subset of items from the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status-Modified (TICS-m). Data on dietary intake was retrieved from three consecutive 24 hour recalls by participants and its quality was assessed by the 17-items Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI). An Instrumental Variable technique was used to deal with the potential endogeneity of dietary quality. The instrumental variable used in our study is the community mean of CHEI.
After adjusting for socio-demographic factors (age, gender, education, per capita household income), lifestyle habits (smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, BMI), and chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes), our findings revealed that improving diet quality had a significant positive effect on cognitive performance ([Formula: see text]), particularly in females aged 55-65 years ([Formula: see text]) and females with primary education and below ([Formula: see text]).
Our study suggests that improving diet quality and adhering to the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese may enhance cognitive performance in Chinese adults aged 55 years and older.
许多研究表明，饮食质量与认知表现之间存在正相关关系，这表明改善饮食质量可能有助于预防老年人认知能力下降。然而，很少有研究调查饮食质量与认知表现之间的因果关系。本研究旨在评估饮食质量对中国 55 岁及以上成年人认知表现的因果影响。特别是，我们利用中国饮食质量指数（CHEI）作为老年人饮食质量的替代指标，这是一种针对中国人群的饮食评估工具。
数据来自中国健康与营养调查（CHNS）（[Formula: see text]，[Formula: see text]55 岁），该调查于 2004 年和 2006 年进行。认知功能通过电话访谈认知状态修改版（TICS-m）的一部分项目进行测试。饮食摄入数据由参与者的三个连续 24 小时回忆中获取，并通过 17 项中国健康饮食指数（CHEI）进行评估。采用工具变量技术来解决饮食质量的潜在内生性问题。我们研究中使用的工具变量是 CHEI 的社区平均值。
在调整了社会人口因素（年龄、性别、教育程度、人均家庭收入）、生活方式习惯（吸烟、饮酒、身体活动、BMI）和慢性病（高血压、糖尿病）后，我们的研究结果表明，改善饮食质量对认知表现有显著的积极影响（[Formula: see text]），特别是在 55-65 岁的女性（[Formula: see text]）和受教育程度为小学及以下的女性（[Formula: see text]）中。
我们的研究表明，改善饮食质量和遵循《中国居民膳食指南》可能会提高中国 55 岁及以上成年人的认知表现。
