Does compliance with nutrition guidelines lead to healthy aging? A quality-of-life approach

We aimed to estimate, in a large French cohort of middle-aged adults derived from the Supplémentation en Vitamines et Minéraux Antioxydants trial, the association of compliance with the guidelines of the French Nutrition and Health Program (PNNS) assessed at inclusion and change in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) over 12 years. A secondary objective was to identify the relative contribution of diet and physical activity to long-term change in HRQoL.

Subjects were Supplémentation en Vitamines et Minéraux Antioxydants trial participants aged 45 to 60 years at inclusion in the cohort.

Compliance with nutrition guidelines (diet and physical activity) was assessed by the PNNS Guideline Score (maximum 15 points) at inclusion. HRQoL was measured by the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form 36 (SF-36) at 1 year (initial measurement) and 13 years (final measurement) after inclusion. The primary end point was change in the SF-36 physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores over 12 years.

In total, 3,005 subjects (mean age 51.4 ± 4.3 years) completed the SF-36 at the initial and final measurement. The mean PNNS Guideline Score was 7.8 ± 1.9 and the mean PCS and MCS was 52.2 ± 6.4 and 50.3 ± 7.0, respectively, at the initial measurement and 48.0 ± 9.6 and 51.2 ± 8.7 at the final measurement. Better compliance with nutritional guidelines was associated with better initial and final HRQoL but not associated with change in HRQoL. Compliance with dietary guidelines was associated with positive change in PCS score but not associated with initial PCS score. In contrast, compliance with dietary guidelines was related to positive initial MCS score but not related to change in MCS score. Compliance with physical activity guidelines was related to initial PCS and MCS scores but not related to change in PCS and MCS scores.

Following physical activity guidelines may be associated with better concomitant HRQoL and following dietary guidelines with better future physical HRQoL.