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Evaluation of dietary quality in relationship to nutritional and lifestyle factors in elderly people of the US Framingham Heart Study and the European SENECA study

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 55, pages 870–880 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate dietary quality of European and American elderly subjects using different derivatives of dietary patterns (dietary scores and clusters) and to investigate the relationship of these approaches to nutritional and lifestyle factors.

Design: Data from the cross-sectional SENECA baseline study and Framingham Heart Study (original cohort and offspring) were used for data analysis. Food intake data were summarised into dietary clusters and into dietary scores (Healthy Diet Indicator and Mediterranean Diet Score). These measures of dietary quality were then tested for associations with lifestyle factors and measures of nutritional status.

Subjects/Setting: The study population, aged 70–77 y, consisted of 828 subjects from Framingham, MA (USA) and 1282 subjects from the following European centres: Hamme, Belgium; Roskilde, Denmark; Padua, Italy; Culemborg, The Netherlands; Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal; Betanzos, Spain; and Yverdon, Burgdorf and Bellinzona, Switzerland.

Results: Dietary intake varied widely across the European and American research centres. In general, Southern European centres and Framingham had higher mean diet scores, indicating a higher dietary quality, than Northern European centres (MD-scores: 4.2–4.4 vs 2.7–3.5). Cluster analysis identified the following five dietary patterns characterised by: (1) sugar and sugar products; (2) fish and grain; (3) meat, eggs and fat; (4) milk and fruit; and (5) alcohol intake. The meat, eggs and fat pattern had significantly lower average dietary quality, as measured with all three diet scores than all other groups except the alcohol group. The fish and grain group had significantly better Mediterranean diet scores than all other groups.

Conclusions: Dietary scores and dietary clusters are complementary measures to classify dietary quality. The associations with nutritional and lifestyle factors indicate the adequate categorisation into dietary quality groups.

Sponsorship: European Union, US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, under agreement (58-1950-9-001), Haak Bastiaanse-Kuneman Foundation.

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2001) 55, 870–880

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Acknowledgements

This study is part of the EU/SENECA study on Nutrition and Health of the Elderly in Europe. The authors wish to thank all principal investigators and collaborators of SENECA's baseline study. This study was supported in part by the US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (58-1950-9-001), under agreement, and a grant from the Haak Bastiaanse-Kuneman Foundation.

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Author notes

  1. A Haveman-Nies: Guarantor: A Haveman-Nies.

  2. A Haveman-Nies, KL Tucker, LCPGM de Groot, PWF Wilson and WA van Staveren: Contributors: AH-N conducted the statistical analysis and wrote the main body of the manuscript KLT supervised the statistical analysis and contributed to the interpretation and discussion of the results. CPGMdG and WAvS were responsible for the data collection of the SENECA study. They contributed to the design and methodology of this study. PWFW was responsible for the data collection of the Framingham Heart Study.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Human Nutrition and Epidemiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    A Haveman-Nies, LCPGM de Groot & WA van Staveren

  2. Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, USA

    KL Tucker & PWF Wilson

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  1. A Haveman-Nies
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Correspondence to A Haveman-Nies.

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Haveman-Nies, A., Tucker, K., de Groot, L. et al. Evaluation of dietary quality in relationship to nutritional and lifestyle factors in elderly people of the US Framingham Heart Study and the European SENECA study. Eur J Clin Nutr 55, 870–880 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601232

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