Effectiveness of dietary interventions among adults of retirement age: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
BACKGROUND
Retirement from work involves significant lifestyle changes and may represent an opportunity to promote healthier eating patterns in later life. However, the effectiveness of dietary interventions during this period has not been evaluated.


METHODS
We undertook a systematic review of dietary interventions among adults of retirement transition age (54 to 70 years). Twelve electronic databases were searched for randomized controlled trials evaluating the promotion of a healthy dietary pattern, or its constituent food groups, with three or more months of follow-up and reporting intake of specific food groups. Random-effects models were used to determine the pooled effect sizes. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were used to assess sources of heterogeneity.


RESULTS
Out of 9,048 publications identified, 68 publications reporting 24 studies fulfilled inclusion criteria. Twenty-two studies, characterized by predominantly overweight and obese participants, were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, interventions increased fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake by 87.5 g/day (P <0.00001), with similar results in the short-to-medium (that is, 4 to 12 months; 85.6 g/day) and long-term (that is, 13 to 58 months; 87.0 g/day) and for body mass index (BMI) stratification. Interventions produced slightly higher intakes of fruit (mean 54.0 g/day) than of vegetables (mean 44.6 g/day), and significant increases in fish (7 g/day, P = 0.03) and decreases in meat intake (9 g/day, P <0.00001).


CONCLUSIONS
Increases in F&V intakes were positively associated with the number of participant intervention contacts. Dietary interventions delivered during the retirement transition are therefore effective, sustainable in the longer term and likely to be of public health significance.
Human Nutrition Research Centre, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK. jose.lara@ncl.a.uk.
Jose
J
Lara
Nicola
N
Hobbs
Paula J
PJ
Moynihan
Thomas D
TD
Meyer
Ashley J
AJ
Adamson
Linda
L
Errington
Lynn
L
Rochester
Falko F
FF
Sniehotta
Martin
M
White
John C
JC
Mathers
D000368:Aged; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy*; D050177:Overweight / Q000178:diet therapy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012179:Retirement; D014675:Vegetables