title: Capturing changes in dietary patterns among older adults: a latent class analysis of an ageing Irish cohort.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Data-driven approaches to dietary patterns are under-utilized; latent class analyses (LCA) are particularly rare. The present study used an LCA to identify subgroups of people with similar dietary patterns, explore changes in dietary patterns over a 10-year period and relate these dynamics to sociodemographic factors and health outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 1998 baseline and 2008 follow-up of the Cork and Kerry Diabetes and Heart Disease Study. Diets were assessed with a standard FFQ. LCA, under the assumption of conditional independence, was used to identify mutually exclusive subgroups with different dietary patterns, based on food group consumption.
  
  
  METHODS
  Republic of Ireland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men and women aged 50-69 years at baseline (n 923) and at 10-year follow-up (n 320).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three dietary classes emerged: Western, Healthy and Low-Energy. Significant differences in demographic, lifestyle and health outcomes were associated with class membership. Between baseline and follow-up most people remained 'stable' in their dietary class. Most of those who changed class moved to the Healthy class. Higher education was associated with transition to a healthy diet; lower education was associated with stability in an unhealthy pattern. Transition to a healthy diet was associated with higher CVD risk factors at baseline: respondents were significantly more likely to be smokers, centrally obese and to have hypertension (non-significant).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LCA is useful for exploring dietary patterns transitions. Understanding the predictors of longitudinal stability/transitions in dietary patterns will help target public health initiatives by identifying subgroups most/least likely to change and most/least likely to sustain a change.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Epidemiology & Public Health,University College Cork,Fourth Floor,Western Gateway Building,Western Road,Cork,Republic of Ireland.
authors.forename: Janas M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Harrington
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Epidemiology & Public Health,University College Cork,Fourth Floor,Western Gateway Building,Western Road,Cork,Republic of Ireland.
authors.forename: Darren L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Dahly
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Epidemiology & Public Health,University College Cork,Fourth Floor,Western Gateway Building,Western Road,Cork,Republic of Ireland.
authors.forename: Anthony P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.affiliation: 2Centre for Epidemiology & Biostatistics,University of Leeds,Leeds,UK.
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gilthorpe
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Epidemiology & Public Health,University College Cork,Fourth Floor,Western Gateway Building,Western Road,Cork,Republic of Ireland.
authors.forename: Ivan J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Perry
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards; D066273:Diet, Western; D004522:Educational Status; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006262:Health; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000178:diet therapy; D007494:Ireland; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000178:diet therapy; D012907:Smoking