Effects of Consumption Frequency of 10 Food Groups on Activities of Daily Living in Elderly Japanese Women: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

Background: This study aimed to examine the effects of the consumption frequency of 10 food groups on activities of daily living (ADL) in elderly Japanese women. Methods This was a four-year longitudinal cohort study conducted in Itabashi Ward, Tokyo. Participants were 1,111 community-dwelling elderly women aged 75 to 85 years, without baseline ADL disability or missing values. The main outcome measures were the relationship between the baseline consumption frequency of 10 food groups and future incidence of ADL disability. The relationship between baseline consumption frequency of 10 food groups and change in ADL status was analyzed through logistic regression analyses. Results The incidence rate of ADL disability was 7.6%. The trend tests show that less-frequent consumption of soy products, colored vegetables, and fats/oils leads to a significantly higher odds ratio of ADL disability incidence whether adjusted or not (p < 0.005, p = 0.03, and p = 0.02, respectively, when adjusted). Conclusions Our results suggest that in community-dwelling elderly Japanese women, lower consumption frequency of soy products, colored vegetables, or fats/oils are risk factors for future incidence of ADL disability.