Capturing changes in dietary patterns among older adults: a latent class analysis of an ageing Irish cohort. Issue 12 (25th February 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Harrington, Janas M; Dahly, Darren L; Fitzgerald, Anthony P; Gilthorpe, Mark S; Perry, Ivan J
• Is Part Of: Public health nutrition. Volume 17:Issue 12(2014)
• Page Start: 2674
• Page End: 2686
• Publication Date: 2014-02-25
• Subjects: Nutrition -- Periodicals; Nutrition policy -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 613.2
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980014000111
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1368-9800

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="normal"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="abs1" sec-type="general"> <title>Objective</title> <p>Data-driven approaches to dietary patterns are under-utilized; latent class analyses (LCA) are particularly rare. The present study used an LCA to identify subgroups of people with similar dietary patterns, explore changes in dietary patterns over a 10-year period and relate these dynamics to sociodemographic factors and health outcomes.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs2" sec-type="general"> <title>Design</title> <p>The 1998 baseline and 2008 follow-up of the Cork and Kerry Diabetes and Heart Disease Study. Diets were assessed with a standard FFQ. LCA, under the assumption of conditional independence, was used to identify mutually exclusive subgroups with different dietary patterns, based on food group consumption.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs3" sec-type="general"> <title>Setting</title> <p>Republic of Ireland.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs4" sec-type="subjects"> <title>Subjects</title> <p>Men and women aged 50–69 years at baseline (<italic>n</italic> 923) and at 10-year follow-up (<italic>n</italic> 320).</p> </sec> <sec id="abs5" sec-type="results"> <title>Results</title> <p>Three dietary classes emerged: Western, Healthy and Low-Energy. Significant differences in demographic, lifestyle and health outcomes were associated with class membership. Between baseline and follow-up most people remained 'stable' in their dietary class. Most of those who changed class moved to the Healthy class. Higher education was associated with transition to a healthy diet; lower education was associated with stability in an unhealthy pattern. Transition to a healthy diet was associated with higher CVD risk factors at baseline: respondents were significantly more likely to be smokers, centrally obese and to have hypertension (non-significant).</p> </sec> <sec id="abs6" sec-type="conclusion"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>LCA is useful for exploring dietary patterns transitions. Understanding the predictors of longitudinal stability/transitions in dietary patterns will help target public health initiatives by identifying subgroups most/least likely to change and most/least likely to sustain a change.</p> </sec> </abstract>