Abstract
The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between diet variety and physical frailty in community-dwelling older adults. Data of 577 older adults (mean age: 74.0 ± 6.3 years, women: 62.5%) were analyzed. Diet variety was assessed using the Food Frequency Score (FFS) (maximum, 30 points). The FFS assessed the one-week consumption frequency of ten foods (meat, fish/shellfish, eggs, milk & dairy products, soybean products, green & yellow vegetables, potatoes, fruits, seafood, and fats & oil). Physical frailty was assessed using Fried’s component (slowness, weakness, exhaustion, low physical activity, and weight loss). The participants were classified into frail, pre-frail, and non-frail groups. The prevalence of physical frailty was 6.6%. This study found significant associations between physical frailty and low FFS after adjusting for covariates (odds ratio (OR) 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84–0.97, p < 0.01). The optimal cutoff point of the FFS for physical frailty was ≤16 points. FFS lower than the cutoff point were significantly associated with physical frailty after adjusting for covariates (OR 3.46, 95% CI 1.60–7.50, p < 0.01). Diet variety assessed using the FFS cutoff value of ≤16 points was related to the physical frailty status in community-dwelling older adults.
Highlights
Physical frailty is concerned with a decline in physical function and a state of vulnerability to poor resolution of homeostasis after a stressful event and is a consequence of a cumulative decline of physiological systems during a lifetime [1,2]
Food Frequency Score (FFS) lower than the cutoff point were significantly associated with physical frailty even after adjusting for age and sex (Model 1: Odds ratios (ORs) 3.87, 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) 1.85–8.07, p < 0.01)
In Model 2 adjusted for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), education, and polypharmacy, values lower than the cutoff point of FFS remained significantly associated with physical frailty (Table 4)
Summary
Physical frailty is concerned with a decline in physical function and a state of vulnerability to poor resolution of homeostasis after a stressful event and is a consequence of a cumulative decline of physiological systems during a lifetime [1,2]. In order to extend healthy life expectancy, effective prevention and improvement strategies are required [1], and modifiable risk factors of physical frailty need to be identified. Nutritional factors are modifiable risk factors for physical frailty [4]. Nutritional factors affect muscle homoeostasis, which is responsible for maintaining a balance between new muscle cell formation, hypertrophy, and protein loss. Malnutrition has been confirmed to be associated with poor physical function and quality of life in older adults [5,6].
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