Cognitive impacts of diet quality depend on socioeconomic position: the NuAge study

Abstract

We examined whether equivalent adherence to ‘Prudent’ and ‘Western’ dietary patterns, identified by principle components analysis, exerted the same beneficial or detrimental effects on cognitive function (Modified Mini‐Mental State Examination; 3MS) in older adults with different socioeconomic position (SEP). The interaction of dietary pattern adherence with household income, educational attainment, occupational prestige, and a composite indicator of SEP combining all three (n=1099) was examined in multiple‐adjusted mixed models over 3 years of follow‐up. Adherence to the Prudent pattern was related to higher 3MS scores at recruitment only in upper categories of income (P=0.015), education (P=0.017), or composite SEP (P=0.026). High Prudent pattern adherence was associated with slower cognitive decline only in those with low composite SEP (P=0.042). Conversely, high Western pattern adherence was associated with accelerated cognitive decline (P=0.023) only in those with low educational attainment. In summary, we found that the neuropsychological parameters of the diet‐cognition relationship were dependent on SEP. Since individuals with equivalent diet quality and dissimilar SEP performed differently, it may be unrealistic to expect diet to act on cognition in isolation from other dimensions of lifestyle.Grant Funding Source: Canadian Institutes of Health Research