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. 2024 Mar 21;16(6):908.
doi: 10.3390/nu16060908.

The Mediating Role of Psychological Balance on the Effects of Dietary Behavior on Cognitive Impairment in Chinese Elderly

Yating Chen  1 , Lingling Zhang  2 , Xiaotong Wen  3 , Xiaojun Liu  1
Affiliations

The Mediating Role of Psychological Balance on the Effects of Dietary Behavior on Cognitive Impairment in Chinese Elderly

Yating Chen et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Background: Cognitive impairment, a significant problem in older adults, may be associated with diet. This study aims to examine the association between the dietary diversity score (DDS), dietary pattern (DP), and cognitive impairment in elderly Chinese. This research further explored the role of psychological balance (PB) as a mediator in the relationship between diet and cognitive impairment.

Methods: A total of 14,318 older adults from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Study (CLHLS) in 2018 were included. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify patterns in seven food varieties. Binary logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with the DDS, DP, and cognitive impairment. The multiple mediation effect model was evaluated using model 6 in the PROCESS version 3.5 program.

Results: Among the participants, 4294 (29.99%) developed cognitive impairment. Compared to people in food variety group two or lower, people with a high dietary diversity score (DDS) had lower odds of cognitive impairment. Compared to DP1, DP2 (OR = 1.24, 95%CI = 1.09 to 1.40) was associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment, and DP4 (OR = 0.79, 95%CI = 0.69 to 0.89) was associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment. PB mediated the relationship between DDS, DP, and cognitive impairment, with a mediating effect of 27.24% and 41.00%.

Conclusions: A DP that is rich in fruits, vegetables, red meat, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, and milk was related to a lower risk of cognitive impairment. PB has an indirect impact on cognitive impairment. Our findings underscore the importance of promoting a diverse diet, which may contribute to a lower risk of cognitive impairment in older adults. The PB of the elderly should also be taken into consideration.

Keywords: cognitive impairment; dietary diversity; dietary patterns; psychological balance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percentages of the seven food varieties (%).
Figure 2
Figure 2
The constitution ratio for the dietary diversity (%).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Estimated class-specific response probabilities for the seven food varieties.
Figure 4
Figure 4
A chain mediation model through the association between dietary diversity scores, psychological balance, and cognitive impairment.
Figure 5
Figure 5
A chain mediation model through the association between dietary patterns, psychological balance, and cognitive impairment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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