Association between dietary quality and bone mass among middle-aged and elderly people in Gansu Province / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

【Objective】 To evaluate the dietary quality with the dietary balance index (DBI_16) and the association between dietary quality and bone mass among middle-aged and elderly people in Gansu Province so as to provide evidence for improving dietary quality and bone health status of Gansu population. 【Methods】 Based on the information of the type and quantity of food intake and the bone mass of middle-aged and elderly people aged 35 years and above collected by the Gansu Project in the Regional Ethnic Cohort Study in Northwest China, DBI_16 was used to evaluate the intake level of cereals, vegetables, fruits, milk, beans, fish and shrimp, eggs and other foods, and the degree of inadequate, excessive and unbalanced dietary intake of the participants. Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the associations of three component indexes of DBI_16, high bound score (DBI_HBS), low bound score (DBI_LBS), diet quality distance (DBI_DQD), and seven single indexes of DBI_16 with bone mass. 【Results】 Analyses of the dietary and bone mass data of 11,840 participants showed that 44.8% of participants consumed excessive amounts of cereals compared to the dietary recommendation. 96.3%, 90.6%, 90.1%, 71.9%, 95.1% and 60.3% of participants’ intake of vegetables, fruits, milk, soybeans, fish and shrimp, and eggs, respectively, were inadequate. 47.7% participants consumed less than 10 types of food. 2.3% participants’ DBI_LBS levels were appropriate. 54.7% participants’ DBI_HBS levels were appropriate. Only 1.2% participants’ DBI_DQD reached a balanced level. The bone mass level in the study population was (2.5±0.6) kg [(2.8±0.5) kg for men and (2.3±0.5) kg for women]. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, total dietary energy intake and body mass index, DBI_LBS and DBI_DQD were negatively associated with bone mass [β and 95% CI was -0.002 01 (-0.003 62--0.000 40) and -0.001 76 (-0.003 09--0.000 43), respectively]. 【Conclusion】 Dietary intake imbalance is common among middle-aged and elderly people in Gansu Province, and the more severe the dietary intake imbalance, the lower the bone mass level.