Association between Dietary Patterns and Cognitive Function among Qatari Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Qatar Biobank Study

This study aimed to assess the association between dietary patterns and cognitive function among Qatari adults. In a cross-sectional analysis, data on 1000 Qatari adults attending the Qatar Biobank Study (QBB) aged ≥18 years were obtained. Using factor analysis, dietary patterns were constructed based on habitual dietary intake assessed by food frequency questionnaires (FFQs). The mean reaction time (MRT) derived from self-administered touch screen tests was used as an indicator of cognitive function. The association between dietary patterns and MRT was investigated using linear regression. The mean age of the participants was 35.8 (SD 10.3) years, and the mean MRT was 715.3 (SD 204.1) milliseconds. Three dietary patterns were identified. The “traditional” dietary pattern, characterized by high intakes of white rice, mixed dishes and soups/starters possibly high in saturated fat and sodium, was positively associated with MRT. In the multivariable model, comparing the highest to lowest quartiles of the traditional pattern, the regression coefficient for MRT was 50.0 (95% CI 16.9, 83.1; p for trend 0.001). There was an effect modification of diabetes and age on the association between the “modern” dietary pattern and MRT. The “convenient” dietary pattern was not associated with cognition. In conclusion, the traditional rice-based dietary pattern may be associated with poor cognitive function.