Effects of Both Japanese-Style Dietary Patterns and Nutrition on Falling Incidents among Community-Dwelling Elderly Individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study

Approximately 20% of the community-dwelling Japanese elderly (≥65 years) experience falling annually, with injury frequency rising with age. Increased nursing home admission/hospitalization risk influences healthy aging and QOL. Nutrition for musculoskeletal health is necessary, though the relationship of falling with nutritional status in the elderly is largely unknown. We investigated falling incidents and nutritional status, including a Japanese-style diet in a community-dwelling cohort. Using a cross-sectional design, 186 subjects (median age 83.0 years, males/females 67/119) were analyzed. Oral and systemic health conditions were assessed. A brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire (BDHQ) was given for nutritional status. Analysis of covariance (adjusted for gender, age, BMI, articular disease/osteoporosis history, present tooth number, educational level) and the Japanese-Mediterranean diet (jMD) score adapted for Japan were used. The jMD score and falling incidents were significantly associated, with point increases related to a significantly decreased falling risk of 28% (OR: 0.72; 95%CI: 0.57–0.91). Of the 13 jMD food components, fish, eggs, and potatoes had a significant relationship with reduced falling, while significant associations of intake of animal protein, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and cholesterol (p < 0.05) were also observed. The results suggest that the jMD dietary pattern is an important factor for the prevention of falling incidents in elderly individuals.