Association between Lebanese Mediterranean Diet and Frailty in Community-Dwelling Lebanese Older Adults-A Preliminary Study

Tracy Daou; Joelle Abi Kharma; Alexandra Daccache; Maya Bassil; Farah Naja; Berna Rahi

doi:10.3390/nu14153084

Association between Lebanese Mediterranean Diet and Frailty in Community-Dwelling Lebanese Older Adults-A Preliminary Study

Nutrients. 2022 Jul 27;14(15):3084. doi: 10.3390/nu14153084.

Authors

Tracy Daou¹, Joelle Abi Kharma¹, Alexandra Daccache¹, Maya Bassil², Farah Naja^{3

4}, Berna Rahi⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, P.O. Box 13-5053, Chouran, Beirut 1102 2801, Lebanon.
² Department of Human Nutrition, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar.
³ Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Research Institute of Medical & Health Sciences (RIMHS), College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates.
⁴ Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, American University of Beirut, P.O. Box 11-0236, Riad El Solh, Beirut 1107 2020, Lebanon.
⁵ Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77304, USA.

Abstract

Discrepancies in the characteristics of the food components of a Mediterranean diet exist based on the country of origin. In Lebanon, a traditional Mediterranean diet emphasizes the high intakes of fruits (including dried), vegetables, burghol, and dairy products. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to explore the association between adherence to the Lebanese Mediterranean diet (LMD) and frailty among older adults in Lebanon. A total of 112 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥65 years were recruited. Demographic and clinical characteristics were collected through face-to-face interviews. A 61-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to collect dietary intake data, and adherence to LMD was calculated. Physical frailty was defined by the presence of three out of the five criterion: weight loss, weakness, exhaustion, slowness, and low activity. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between LMD adherence and frailty while adjusting for several confounders. The participants’ mean age was 73 ± 12.8 and 65% were females. Sixteen (14.3%) individuals were identified as frail. Frail individuals were significantly older (p = 0.001), depressed (p < 0.001), at risk of cognitive impairment (p = 0.006), and reported polypharmacy (p = 0.003). No significant association was found between LMD adherence and frailty in fully adjusted models (OR = 0.195; 95% CI: 0.033−1.154; p = 0.071 when categorical and OR = 0.856; 95% CI: 0.668−1.097; p = 0.218 when continuous). We also performed additional analyses with a modified frailty index where house chores were not considered as part of leisure activities of the physical activity criterion. The results showed that a higher LMD adherence was associated with a significantly decreased frailty prevalence (OR = 0.123, 95% CI: 0.022−0.676, p = 0.016 when categorical and OR = 0.773, 95% CI 0.608−0.983, p = 0.036). Larger, longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the relationship between the adherence to the Lebanese Mediterranean diet and frailty in Lebanese older adults.

Keywords: Lebanese Mediterranean diet; community-dwelling; frailty; older adults.

MeSH terms

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diet
Diet, Mediterranean*
Female
Frail Elderly
Frailty* / epidemiology
Humans
Independent Living
Male
Middle Aged
Vegetables

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.