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RESEARCH PRODUCT

THE HEALTHY NORDIC DIET AMONG OLDER INDIVIDUALS PREDICTS INCIDENT DISABILITY IN A 10-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

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We investigated whether adherence to the healthy Nordic diet among older individuals was associated with incident disability 10 years later. We studied 972 participants from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study who were free of disability at baseline. At the mean age of 61 years the Nordic diet score (NDS) was calculated based on a validated food-frequency questionnaire that the participants filled in. Higher scores indicated better adherence to the healthy Nordic diet. At the mean age of 71 years, participants’ incident disability was assessed using a self-reported questionnaire and was based on two levels of disability: mobility difficulty (difficulty in walking 500 m) and self-care dependence (difficulty in dressing or bathing). Association between the NDS and incident disability was tested by logistic regression analysis. In total, 92 participants (9.5%) developed difficulty in walking 500 meters and 44 participants (4.5%) developed difficulty in dressing or bathing during 10-year follow-up. After adjusting for age, BMI, educational attainment, physical activity, smoking, and energy intake, the likelihood of having difficulties in walking 500 m were lower among those in the highest NDS fourth than among those in the lowest NDS fourth (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.12, 0.67). In addition, the odds of having difficulties in dressing or bathing were lower among those in the highest NDS fourth than among those in the lowest NDS fourth (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.12, 0.99). In conclusion, adherence to the healthy Nordic diet among older individuals predicted incident disability during a 10-year follow-up.