Relationship between three dietary indices and health-related quality of life among rural elderly in China: a cross-sectional study

Chen Yang; Peijun Liu; Wenjing Huang; Ying Zhou; Cuiping Liu; Tianlin Gao; Feng Zhong

doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1259227

Relationship between three dietary indices and health-related quality of life among rural elderly in China: a cross-sectional study

Front Nutr. 2023 Oct 19:10:1259227. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1259227. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Chen Yang¹, Peijun Liu¹, Wenjing Huang², Ying Zhou¹, Cuiping Liu³, Tianlin Gao¹, Feng Zhong¹

Affiliations

¹ Qingdao University School of Public Health, Qingdao, China.
² The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
³ Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, China.

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the association between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and diet quality using three evidence-based dietary indices among older people in rural China.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,258 rural older people (mean age 72.32 years; 55.6% female). HRQOL was assessed using the European Five Dimension Health Scale (EQ-5D), and dietary intake was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire. Three dietary scoring indices, including the Alternate Healthy Eating Index, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and Dietary Diversity Score (DDS), were calculated to assess and analyze the relationship between these dietary indices and quality of life.

Results: The EQ-5D score was 0.95 ± 0.10, and the EQ-Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score was 76.76 ± 14.44. All three groups with higher dietary indices had higher quality of life scores. After controlling for covariates in multivariate adjusted binary logistic regression analyzes, participants in the top tertile of DDS had higher quality of life scores than those in the bottom tertile. DDS was consistently associated with EQ-5D (Model 2: OR = 1.567, p = 0.001; Model3: OR = 1.351, p = 0.044) and EQ-VAS (Model 2: OR = 1.830, p < 0.001; Model 3: OR = 1.383, p = 0.047), significantly different from the other groups.

Conclusion: Older people in rural China who adhere to various foods experience a better quality of healthy life.

Keywords: HRQOL; dietary; elderly; quality of life; rural.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was funded by the Feihe Foundation (CNS-Feihe2020A36).