The relationship between elderly dietary index and sarcopenia: a case-control study

Despite the rising number of older adults and the risk of sarcopenia in the new century, no research has assessed the link between sarcopenia and the Elderly Dietary Index (EDI) in this population. Therefore, the goal of the current research was to assess the association between sarcopenia odds and the EDI in older adults in Iran.

This case-control study, which included 80 participants in each group, utilized data from a population-based cross-sectional study of eligible older adults recruited from healthcare centers in Shiraz, Iran. The diagnostic standards established by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia were used to define sarcopenia. For dietary intake assessment over the previous year, a 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire, with good validity and reliability among the Iranian population, was used. Associations between the EDI and other related factors with the odds of sarcopenia were assessed using logistic regression.

In the adjusted model, each unit increment in the EDI was correlated with lower odds of sarcopenia (odds ratio (OR) = 0.798, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.645-0.986). A greater odds of sarcopenia was observed with each unit increase in age and with higher education levels compared to lower age and education levels (age: OR = 1.204, 95% CI: 1.092-1.327; education: OR = 2.866, 95% CI: 1.131-7.259).

This study assessed adherence to the EDI among older adults and found a negative relationship between the odds of sarcopenia and the EDI.