Developing a dietary diversity score within the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and exploring associations with cognitive trajectories

Project Summary

We are studying how the diversity of food that people eat relates to their memory and thinking abilities as they age. Many studies have shown that a healthy diet is important for aging well, but less is known about how eating a wide range of different foods affects brain health. To explore this, we will create a new dietary diversity score using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. This score will measure how many different food groups people regularly consume, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, and proteins. We will then examine whether people with more varied diets have better memory and thinking skills as they grow older, compared to those with less variety in their diets. Our findings could help shape dietary guidelines and support healthy aging strategies, with the goal of helping Canadians maintain independence and quality of life as they age.