Adherence to dietary guide for elderly adults and health risks of older adults in ethnic minority areas in China: a cross-sectional study

Tingyu Mai,Dechan Tan,Jiansheng Cai,Zhiyong Zhang,Min Xu,Chunhua Bei,Shengle Li,Qiumei Liu,Huaxiang Lu,Quanhui Chen,Shuzhen Liu,You Li,Xu Tang,Chuntao Nong,Haoyu He,Xia Xu,Chunbao Mo

doi:10.1186/s12889-022-12668-1

Abstract

BackgroundThe impact of dietary guidelines on health in ethnic minority regions needs to be further explored because of multiple sociocultural factors. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyze the association between adherence to dietary guidelines and health risks in an elderly population in an ethnic minority region.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among 836 older adults in ethnic minority areas. They were asked to describe their daily dietary intake levels through a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. The closeness coefficient for each study subject was calculated by using the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS), which measures the adherence to Dietary Guide for Elderly Adults (DGEA). Regression models were used to analyze the association between adherence and health risks.ResultsThe daily food of the elderly in this area comprised cereals and vegetables. They had low intake of milk, dairy products, and water and high intake of salt. The closeness coefficient for the total population was 0.51, and the adherence of this population to dietary guidelines for the elderly was low. In both the crude model and the models adjusted for covariates, the closeness coefficient was not significantly associated with clinical indicators and health outcomes (p > 0.05).ConclusionsNo association was found between adherence to large sample-based dietary guidelines and clinical indicators or health outcomes in ethnic minority populations. The applicability of dietary guidelines to ethnic minority areas and whether they yield the expected health benefits require further study.

Highlights

The impact of dietary guidelines on health in ethnic minority regions needs to be further explored because of multiple sociocultural factors
Traditional studies have focused on the health effects of nutrients, components, or dietary patterns [3, 4], but current studies are beginning to focus on the health effects of adherence to dietary guidelines
According to a recent meta-analysis, adherence to the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) was associated with a 20% reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) [6], whereas adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with an 8% reduction in the risk of prediabetes (PreT2D) and a 50% reduction in the risk of T2D in a high-risk population [7, 8]

Summary

Introduction

The impact of dietary guidelines on health in ethnic minority regions needs to be further explored because of multiple sociocultural factors. This study was conducted to analyze the association between adherence to dietary guidelines and health risks in an elderly population in an ethnic minority region. National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China issued the Dietary Guide for Elderly Adults (DGEA) in the form of a health industry standard on 1 August 2017 It gives recommendations on daily food choices and quantities for convenient adoption and implementation by older adults in China. Research based on these areas can make government efforts more efficient In this cross-sectional study, we tested our basic hypothesis, that is, on the basis of the aforementioned findings, the adherence to the DGEA among the elderly population in ethnic minority areas is related to their clinical indicators or health outcomes. We hope to evaluate whether DGEA applies to ethnic minority areas and produces the expected health benefits

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion