Nutrients
Association Between Dietary Diversity and Intrinsic Capacity Among Chinese Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on the CLHLS 2018
By Tingting Shi, Mengqing Li, Youyou Zhang and 2 others.
Abstract
Background
Dietary diversity has been suggested to play an important role in healthy ageing, yet its association with intrinsic capacity (IC) remains insufficiently explored. This study aimed to examine the association between dietary diversity and intrinsic capacity among older adults.
Methods
This cross-sectional study included 15,166 participants aged ≥65 years from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Dietary diversity score (DDS) was constructed from the reported consumption frequencies of 11 food groups and analyzed both continuously and in quartile groups. IC was constructed as a latent variable using confirmatory factor analysis across five domains: cognition, locomotion, psychological function, sensory function, and vitality. Low IC was defined as a factor score below the sample median. Multivariable regression and restricted cubic spline models assessed associations, supplemented by domain-specific, subgroup, and sensitivity analyses.