Dietary Patterns Derived by Hybrid Clustering Method in Older People: Association with Cognition, Mood, and Self-Rated Health

• Published in: Journal of the American Dietetic Association Vol. 108; no. 9; pp. 1461 - 1471
• Main Authors: Samieri, Cécilia, Jutand, Marthe-Aline, Féart, Catherine, Capuron, Lucile, Letenneur, Luc, Barberger-Gateau, Pascale
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2008; Elsevier Limited; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Aging; Aging - physiology; Aging - psychology; Analysis of Variance; antioxidants; Body Mass Index; brain; classification; Cluster Analysis; cognition; Cognition & reasoning; Cognition - physiology; Cognition Disorders; Cognition Disorders - complications; Cognition Disorders - epidemiology; Cognitive ability; complications; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Depression - complications; Depression - epidemiology; Diet; Diet - classification; dietary recommendations; disease prevalence; eating habits; Educational Status; elderly; elderly nutrition; emotions; epidemiology; fatty acids; Feeding Behavior; Feeding Behavior - classification; Female; folic acid; food choices; food groups; food intake; France; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; gender differences; Health risks; Health Status; Humans; Internal Medicine; Life Sciences; Male; Marital Status; mathematical models; nutrients; Nutrition; Nutrition Surveys; Nutritional Requirements; Older people; pathological processes and conditions; Personal health; physiology; psychology; risk factors; Santé publique et épidémiologie; Sex Distribution; sociodemographic characteristics; special diets; France; SYMPTÔME DÉPRESSIF; FOOD FREQUENCY QUESTIONNAIRE; MÉTHODE DE REGROUPEMENT
• ISSN: 0002-8223; 2212-2672; 1878-3570; 2212-2680
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jada.2008.06.437

Several nutritional factors, including dietary fatty acids, antioxidants, and folates, have been related to pathological brain aging. Dietary patterns that represent a combination of foods may better predict disease risk than single foods or nutrients. To identify dietary patterns by a mixed clustering method and to analyze their relationship with cognitive function, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health in older people. Cross-sectional population-based study. Subjects included 1,724 elderly community dwellers living in Bordeaux, France from 2001 to 2002. Cluster analysis, combining hybrid clustering, and research for stable groups during the k-means step on mean number of weekly servings of 20 predetermined food groups, separately in men and women. Five dietary clusters were identified in each sex. A “healthy” cluster characterized by higher consumption of fish in men (n=157; 24.3%) and fruits and vegetables in women (n=267; 24.8%) had significantly lower mean number of errors to Mini Mental State score after adjustment for socio-demographic variables (β=−0.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], −0.22 to −0.004 in men; β=−0.13; 95% CI, −0.22 to −0.04 in women). The same cluster was associated with borderline significance with lower depressive symptoms in women (β=−0.16; 95% CI, −0.33 to 0.007). Men in the “pasta eaters” cluster (n=136; 21%) had higher depressive symptoms (β=0.26; 95% CI, 0.06 to 0.46) and higher risk to report poor health (polytomous regression, odds ratio [OR]=1.91; 95% CI, 1.21 to 3.01) than the “healthy” cluster. Women in the “biscuits and snacking” cluster (n=162; 15%) had greater risk of poor perceived health (OR=1.69; 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.48) compared to “healthy” eaters. Additional adjustment for body mass index and medication use strengthened these associations. Sex-specific dietary patterns derived by hybrid clustering method are associated with fewer cognitive and depressive symptoms and better perceived health in older people.