Dietary patterns associated with fall-related fracture in elderly Japanese: a population based prospective study.
BACKGROUND
Diet is considered an important factor for bone health, but is composed of a wide variety of foods containing complex combinations of nutrients. Therefore we investigated the relationship between dietary patterns and fall-related fractures in the elderly.


METHODS
We designed a population-based prospective survey of 1178 elderly people in Japan in 2002. Dietary intake was assessed with a 75-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), from which dietary patterns were created by factor analysis from 27 food groups. The frequency of fall-related fracture was investigated based on insurance claim records from 2002 until 2006. The relationship between the incidence of fall-related fracture and modifiable factors, including dietary patterns, were examined. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to examine the relationships between dietary patterns and incidence of fall-related fracture with adjustment for age, gender, Body Mass Index (BMI) and energy intake.


RESULTS
Among 877 participants who agreed to a 4 year follow-up, 28 suffered from a fall-related fracture. Three dietary patterns were identified: mainly vegetable, mainly meat and mainly traditional Japanese. The moderately confirmed (see statistical methods) groups with a Meat pattern showed a reduced risk of fall-related fracture (Hazard ratio = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.13 - 0.94) after adjustment for age, gender, BMI and energy intake. The Vegetable pattern showed a significant risk increase (Hazard ratio = 2.67, 95% CI = 1.03 - 6.90) after adjustment for age, gender and BMI. The Traditional Japanese pattern had no relationship to the risk of fall-related fracture.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study have the potential to reduce fall-related fracture risk in elderly Japanese. The results should be interpreted in light of the overall low meat intake of the Japanese population.
Center for Asian Traditional Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. QFG03604@nifty.com
Yasutake
Y
Monma
Kaijun
K
Niu
Koh
K
Iwasaki
Naoki
N
Tomita
Naoki
N
Nakaya
Atsushi
A
Hozawa
Shinichi
S
Kuriyama
Shin
S
Takayama
Takashi
T
Seki
Takashi
T
Takeda
Nobuo
N
Yaegashi
Satoru
S
Ebihara
Hiroyuki
H
Arai
Ryoichi
R
Nagatomi
Ichiro
I
Tsuji
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology*; D004032:Diet / Q000208:ethnology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014675:Vegetables