Retrospective lifetime dietary patterns are associated with demographic and cardiovascular health variables in an older community-dwelling Australian population

Dietary patterns derived from factor analytic procedures have been demonstrated to predict demographic and health outcomes across a wide range of populations. To examine the potential utility of long-term dietary recall, in the present study, we examined associations between dietary patterns from across the lifespan and demographic and later-life cardiovascular-related health variables, using the Lifetime Diet Questionnaire (LDQ). The LDQ is a self-administered, non-quantitative, retrospective FFQ designed to assess dietary intake from childhood to older age. Participants (n 352) from the Older People, Omega-3 and Cognitive Health trial, aged 65-91 years, completed the LDQ. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on the LDQ and plausible dietary patterns were derived. As a result, three patterns were extracted from each life period, with five distinct patterns overall; these were 'traditional Australian' and 'non-traditional Australian', 'high-sugar and high-fat', 'vegetable' and 'fruit and vegetable' patterns. In separate adjusted regression models, age, sex, education, income, parental background and childhood physical activity all significantly predicted dietary patterns across the lifespan. A 'traditional Australian' pattern in childhood predicted higher HDL-cholesterol levels and lower odds of cholesterol medication use; lower HDL-cholesterol levels were predicted by the adult 'processed, high-sugar and high-fat' pattern, and higher intake of a 'non-traditional Australian' pattern in adulthood also predicted lower odds of using cardiac medications. Lifetime dietary recall, as instantiated by the LDQ, provides a hitherto untapped source of long-term dietary information in older adults that may contribute to greater understanding of the impact exerted by early-life and cumulative dietary choices on later-life health.