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Updated: Mar 1, 2026
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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
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Adult height, dietary patterns, and healthy aging
Wenjie Ma1, Kaitlin A Hagan1, Yoriko Heianza2
1Departments of Epidemiology and.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|June 9, 2017
Summary
Taller adult height is linked to a slightly lower chance of healthy aging. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables may influence this association, promoting better health outcomes in older age.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology and Public Health
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Background:
- Adult height's association with age-related diseases is complex and varied.
- Understanding height's role in healthy aging is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between adult height and healthy aging across multiple health indicators.
- To investigate if lifestyle factors, particularly diet, modify the association between height and healthy aging.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 52,135 women in the Nurses' Health Study (1980-2012).
- Defined healthy aging as absence of 11 chronic diseases and no impairments in memory, physical, or mental health.
- Employed statistical adjustments for demographic and lifestyle factors.
Main Results:
- An 8% decrease in odds of healthy aging was observed for each standard deviation increase in height.
- Women in the tallest height category (≥1.70 m) had significantly lower odds of healthy aging compared to the shortest (≤1.57 m).
- A prudent dietary pattern, especially high fruit and vegetable intake, significantly modified the height-healthy aging association.
Conclusions:
- Greater adult height is associated with a modest reduction in the likelihood of healthy aging.
- Dietary patterns rich in fruits and vegetables may mitigate the negative association between height and healthy aging.
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