Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet is associated with physical and cognitive health: A cross-sectional analysis of community-dwelling older Australians

Lisa Allcock; Evangeline Mantzioris; Anthony Villani

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.1017078

Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet is associated with physical and cognitive health: A cross-sectional analysis of community-dwelling older Australians

Front Public Health. 2022 Nov 16:10:1017078. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1017078. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Lisa Allcock¹, Evangeline Mantzioris², Anthony Villani¹

Affiliations

¹ School of Health and Behavioral Sciences, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD, Australia.
² Clinical and Health Sciences and Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.

Abstract

Poor cognitive function is associated with reduced functional independence, risk of institutionalization and reduced health-related quality of life. The ability to independently perform instrumental activities of daily living (iADLs) is compromised in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. Emerging evidence suggests that adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), may play an important protective role against cognitive decline and dementia risk, whilst preserving functional status. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the independent associations between MedDiet adherence, cognitive risk, and functional status in community-dwelling older adults living in Australia. MedDiet adherence was assessed using the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS); a modified Lawton's iADL scale was used for the assessment of functional status and risk of cognitive impairment was assessed using the AD8 dementia screening intervention. A total of n = 294 participants were included in the final analyses (70.4 ± 6.2 years; Females, n = 201; Males, n = 91; n = 2 unspecified). Adherence to a MedDiet was positively associated with functional ability (β = 0.172; CI: 0.022, 0.132; P = 0.006) independent of age, gender, Body Mass Index (BMI), smoking status, sleep duration, physical activity duration, diabetes status, and level of education. Furthermore, MedDiet adherence was inversely associated with cognitive risk (β = -0.134; CI: -0.198, -0.007; P = 0.035) independent of all covariates. However, our sensitivity analyses further showed that adherence to a MedDiet was not associated with cognitive risk in older adults free from cognitive impairment. We showed that adherence to a MedDiet is associated with healthy physical and cognitive aging. Nevertheless, exploration of these findings in larger cohorts, using longitudinal analyses and controlling for important confounders to ascertain the direction of the relationship is warranted.

Keywords: Mediterranean diet; aging; cognition; iADLs; physical function.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Activities of Daily Living
Aged
Australia / epidemiology
Cognition
Cross-Sectional Studies
Dementia* / epidemiology
Diet, Mediterranean*
Female
Humans
Independent Living
Male
Quality of Life