title: Dietary patterns among older Europeans: the EPIC-Elderly study.
abstract: Overall dietary patterns have been associated with health and longevity. We used principal component (PC) and cluster analyses to identify the prevailing dietary patterns of 99 744 participants, aged 60 years or older, living in nine European countries and participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC-Elderly cohort) and to examine their socio-demographic and lifestyle correlates. Two PC were identified: PC1 reflects a 'vegetable-based' diet with an emphasis on foods of plant origin, rice, pasta and other grain rather than on margarine, potatoes and non-alcoholic beverages. PC2 indicates a 'sweet- and fat-dominated' diet with a preference for sweets, added fat and dairy products but not meat, alcohol, bread and eggs. PC1 was associated with a younger age, a higher level of education, physical activity, a higher BMI, a lower waist:hip ratio and never and past smoking. PC2 was associated with older age, less education, never having smoked, a lower BMI and waist:hip ratio and lower levels of physical activity. Elderly individuals in southern Europe scored positively on PC1 and about zero on PC2, whereas the elderly in northern Europe scored negatively on PC1 and variably on PC2. The results of cluster analysis were compatible with the indicated dietary patterns. 'Vegetable-based' and a 'sweet- and fat-dominated' diets are prevalent among the elderly across Europe, and there is a north-south gradient regarding their dietary choices. Our study contributes to the identification of groups of elderly who are likely to have different prospects for long-term disease occurrence and survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Athens Medical School, M. Asias 75, Athens 11527, Greece.
authors.forename: Christina
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authors.lastname: Bamia
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authors.lastname: Ferrari
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authors.lastname: Hundborg
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authors.lastname: Psaltopoulou
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authors.lastname: Norat
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authors.lastname: Slimani
authors.forename: Domenico
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authors.forename: Vittorio
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authors.lastname: Krogh
authors.forename: Salvatore
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authors.lastname: Panico
authors.forename: Rosario
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authors.lastname: Tumino
authors.forename: Carlotta
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authors.lastname: Sacerdote
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authors.lastname: Bueno-de-Mesquita
authors.forename: Marga C
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authors.lastname: Ocké
authors.forename: Petra H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.forename: Caroline T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: van Rossum
authors.forename: José-Ramón
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Quirós
authors.forename: Maria-José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Navarro
authors.forename: Aurelio
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authors.lastname: Barricarte
authors.forename: Miren
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authors.lastname: Dorronsoro
authors.forename: Göran
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authors.lastname: Berglund
authors.forename: Elisabet
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authors.lastname: Wirfält
authors.forename: Göran
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authors.lastname: Hallmans
authors.forename: Ingegerd
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bingham
authors.forename: Kay-Tee
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Khaw
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: Andrew W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Roddam
authors.forename: Elio
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authors.lastname: Riboli
authors.forename: Antonia
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authors.lastname: Trichopoulou
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004522:Educational Status; D002149:Energy Intake; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D025341:Principal Component Analysis / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking; D014675:Vegetables
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats