ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the correlation between fish intake and cognitive function in the elderly.Methods:Based on data for Hubei province of the Chinese Health and Nutrition Survey 2015, 335 participants aged 60 and over were included in the study.Face-to-face cognitive screening was used to evaluate cognitive function.Fish intake was converted into four classifications: 0 g/d, 0-50 g/d, 50-100 g/d, and >100 g/d.The multiple linear regression model was used to analyze the correlation between fish intake and cognitive function in the elderly.Results:There were 335 subjects, including 142 males(42.4%)and 193 females(57.6%). In the overall population( F=4.19, P=0.006)and females( F=2.30, P=0.079), cognitive scores of the elderly increased with increased fish intake, but no increase was found in males( F=1.99, P=0.119). After adjusting for confounding factors such as age, sex, urban and rural living, education level, marital status, smoking, alcohol consumption, daily total energy intake, dietary fat-to-energy intake ratio, BMI, history of hypertension and stroke, fish intake >100 g/d in the elderly was positively correlated with the cognitive score( β=2.68, 95% CI: 0.38-4.98), compared with the lowest fish intake group(0 g/d); gender-stratified analysis showed that the regression coefficient was 4.26(95% CI: 1.23-7.30)for women and 1.70(-1.76-5.15)for men. Conclusions:Increased fish intake is positively correlated with improved cognitive function in elderly women, but the same is not true in elderly men.Increasing fish intake may be beneficial in preventing cognitive decline in elderly women.