Healthy nutritional status among Centenarians in Rugao, China, is associated with bean consumption, daily activity, and muscle mass retention.

Abstract

Nutritional status is presumed essential for healthy longevity. The city of Rugao in Jiangsu province recognized as a long-lived area on the coastal plain of China, with a higher proportion of centenarians than Chinese elsewhere or in the world at large. The nutritional status and related factors of centenarians in Rugao, along with muscle mass and activities of daily living (ADL) have been documented with a view to improved nutritional and health approaches to healthy ageing. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Rugao from April 2020 to December 2020. 116 local centenarians agreed to participate in the study. Nutritional status was evaluated by the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF), and ADL was assessed by the Barthel Index (BI). Anthropometric data (e.g., calf circumference) and body composition data (e.g., skeletal muscle mass) were collected as muscle mass variables. The age of centenarians ranged from 100 to 109 years. According to MNA-SF assessment, only 6 (5.2%) of 116 centenarians were malnourished, and 57 (49.1%) were at risk of malnutrition. Binary logistic regression results indicated that prealbumin, albumin, bean product consumption, and current exercise status were independent determinants of centenarians' nutritional status. Centenarians with poor nutritional status tended to have worse muscle mass and BI scores. Nearly half of the centenarians maintained normal nutritional status, insofar as muscle mass condition and function were concerned. Frequent bean product consumption and routine exercise were conducive to healthier centenarian nutritional status.