The relationship between diet diversity, food group consumption and health-related quality of life among older Chinese adults in Shanxi Province

The present study aimed to explore the associations between dietary diversity, food group consumption, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among older adults in Shanxi Province. A total of 3250 older adults in the Shanxi Province of China participated in this cross-sectional survey. The HRQoL was assessed using the Chinese version of the EuroQol Five Dimensions Five Levels Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5 L). Generalized Linear Model and Ordinal Logistic Regression Model were employed to analyze the correlation of dietary diversity, food group consumption and health-related quality of life after adjusting covariates. This study found that higher dietary diversity scores were associated with better HRQoL, as reflected by lower EQ-5D disutility scores (derived from utility scores; a higher disutility score indicates poorer HRQoL: T3 vs. T1: β =-0.202, 95% CI : -0.312 to -0.093, p < 0.001). Dietary diversity was also significantly associated with all five health problem dimensions of the EQ-5D. As for food groups, staple food was the single food group associated with health-related quality of life through both EQ-5D disutility and EQ-VAS scores, while vegetables, aquatic products, eggs, soybeans and nuts were associated with one of the scores. Dietary diversity and food group consumption are associated with health-related quality of life among older adults, highlighting the need for attention to dietary behaviors in this population.