Dietary Patterns and Risk of Falls in Older Adults: A Systematic Review

Falls among older adults are a major and growing public health concern. While certain nutrients and foods have been suggested to play a pivotal role in falls, understanding the combined effect of the overall diet may be more relevant.

This study reviewed the evidence on the effect of dietary patterns on the risk of falls in older adults.

A systematic review of multiple databases (Pubmed, Cochrane, WOS, Scopus, CINAHL, Google Scholar, OpenGrey) was conducted in 2024, including all original studies that examined the association between dietary patterns and falls.

A literature search was conducted to identify quantitative studies, including both studies with observational or experimental designs. Of the 56 462 articles screened, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria and were definitively selected. Two review authors (A.G.D. and L.F.A.) independently extracted the data and assessed the methodological quality of the selected studies using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies.

In terms of methodological quality, 1 study was rated as strong, 5 were rated as moderate, and 5 were rated as weak. The pooled study participants (n = 55 144 older adults) were recruited from 5 different countries and participant selection was mainly focused on community-dwelling adults (n = 10). The analyzed diets (>1 per study) were divided into the following categories: Mediterranean diet (n = 6), traditional Japanese diet (n = 2), plant-based diet (n = 3), and pro-inflammatory dietary pattern (n = 4). The main findings suggest that adherence to the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of falls during aging. However, population-based controlled trials are still needed to prove the effect of dietary patterns on falls.

Although the evidence is limited and the overall methodological quality of the studies was moderate/weak, the findings suggest that adopting a Mediterranean diet or a similar culturally appropriate dietary pattern could help reduce the increasing number of falls among older adults.

PROSPERO registration No. CRD42024505564.