A simple food quality index predicts mortality in elderly Taiwanese

[[abstract]]Abstract: Objectives: To assess the relative predictive ability for mortality of the Overall Dietary Index-Revised (ODI-R) and the Dietary Diversity Score (DDS) among representative Taiwanese aged 65 and older. Design: Prospective cohort. Setting: The Elderly Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan during 1999-2000. Participants: One thousand seven hundred forty three (860 men and 883 women). Measurements: Dietary quality measures, the ODI-R (0-100) and DDS (0-6) were based on 24-hour dietary recall and a food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Death by National Death Registry up to 2008 was the outcome measure. Results: During follow-up, 624 subjects died. The survivors had both significantly higher (P 70, respectively, compared to those whose ODI-R scores were £ 50 (P for trend <0.001). For DDS, the multi-variable HRs (95% CI) were 0.74 (0.55-1.00), 0.52 (0.38-0.72) and 0.50 (0.31-0.81)for those whose DDS were 4, 5, 6, respectively, compared to those whose DDS were <3 (P for trend