Psychological Attributes Predict Dietary Pattern Transitions in Older Adults: Evidence from a National Longitudinal Study on Healthy Aging.

BACKGROUND

Dietary patterns are important determinants of health in older adults, yet little is known about how psychological attributes influence changes in dietary patterns over time.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to identify dietary pattern classes in older Chinese adults and to examine whether psychological attributes-specifically anxiety and cognitive function-predict transitions in dietary patterns over time.

METHODS

Longitudinal data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey were used. We conducted latent transition analysis (LTA) to analyze the transition in dietary patterns of 3181 older adults, with a mean age of 81.11 y at T1 (2014) and 84.97 y at T2 (2018).

RESULTS

LTA identified 4 classes of dietary patterns at T1-mono-diet, vegetarian diet, high-protein diet, and diversified diet. The class results were consistent at T2. The diversified diet group had the lowest level of anxiety and the highest level of cognitive function among the 4 dietary groups at both waves. Longitudinally, the LTA results showed that anxiety and cognitive function played a moderating role in the transition of dietary patterns.

CONCLUSIONS

Anxiety and cognitive function were associated with transitions in dietary patterns in older Chinese adults. These findings highlight the critical role of psychological attributes in shaping dietary behavior over time, with implications for targeted interventions promoting healthy aging.