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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: Epidemiology. 2013 Jul;24(4):490–499. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e318294a065

Table 2.

Mean differences in averaged measures of global cognition and verbal memory, according to alternate Mediterranean diet score and its components

Global cognitiona Verbal memoryb
Median (range)c Mean difference 95 % CI Mean difference 95 % CI
Alternate Mediterranean diet scored Quintile 1 2 (0–2) ref ref
Quintile 2 3 (3–3) 0.03 −0.02, 0.08 0.04 −0.02, 0.09
Quintile 3 4 (4–4) 0.02 −0.03, 0.06 0.01 −0.04, 0.06
Quintile 4 5 (5–5) 0.02 −0.03, 0.07 0.03 −0.02, 0.08
Quintile 5 6 (6–9) 0.02 −0.03, 0.06 0.03 −0.02, 0.07
P trend 0.63 0.44
Fruitse Quintile 1 0.9 (0.6–1.1) ref ref
Quintile 2 1.6 (1.5–1.8) −0.01 −0.06, 0.03 −0.02 −0.07, 0.03
Quintile 3 2.3 (2.1–2.4) −0.01 −0.06, 0.04 −0.01 −0.07, 0.04
Quintile 4 2.9 (2.7–3.1) −0.00 −0.05, 0.05 −0.01 −0.06, 0.04
Quintile 5 4.3 (3.8–5.0) − 0.04 −0.09, 0.01 −0.02 −0.08, 0.03
P trend 0.24 0.58
Vegetablese Quintile 1 1.5 (1.1–1.8) ref ref
Quintile 2 2.5 (2.3–2.7) 0.00 −0.04, 0.05 0.00 −0.05, 0.05
Quintile 3 3.4 (3.2–3.6) −0.00 −0.05, 0.04 −0.00 −0.05, 0.05
Quintile 4 4.5 (4.2–4.8) 0.03 −0.02, 0.08 0.02 −0.03, 0.07
Quintile 5 6.6 (5.8–7.9) 0.03 −0.02, 0.08 0.04 −0.02, 0.10
P trend 0.16 0.10
Legumese Quintile 1 0.1 (0.0–0.1) ref ref
Quintile 2 0.1 (0.1–0.1) 0.01 −0.04, 0.05 −0.00 −0.05, 0.05
Quintile 3 0.2 (0.1–0.2) 0.03 −0.02, 0.07 0.02 −0.03, 0.06
Quintile 4 0.3 (0.3–0.3) −0.01 −0.06, 0.04 −0.02 −0.07, 0.03
Quintile 5 0.6 (0.5–0.9) 0.00 −0.05, 0.05 −0.01 −0.06, 0.04
P trend 0.80 0.45
Whole grainse Quintile 1 0.3 (0.1–0.5) ref ref
Quintile 2 0.9 (0.6–0.9) 0.04 −0.01, 0.09 0.03 −0.01, 0.08
Quintile 3 1.3 (1.1–1.4) 0.07 0.02, 0.12 0.05 0.00, 0.10
Quintile 4 1.9 (1.6–2.1) 0.03 −0.02, 0.08 0.01 −0.04, 0.07
Quintile 5 3.3 (2.8–3.8) 0.07 0.02, 0.12 0.03 −0.02, 0.08
P trend 0.02 0.48
Nutse Never,<1/mo 0 ref ref
1 –3 / mo 0.1 (0.1–0.1) 0.04 −0.00, 0.08 0.02 −0.03, 0.06
1 / week 0.2 (0.1–0.2) 0.04 −0.00, 0.09 0.03 −0.02, 0.08
2 – 4 / week 0.4 (0.4–0.6) 0.01 −0.04, 0.05 −0.03 −0.08, 0.02
≥ 5 / week 1.0 (0.9–1.2) 0.03 −0.02, 0.09 0.02 −0.04, 0.07
P trend 0.87 0.89
Red and Processed Meatse Quintile 1 0.1 (0.1–0.2) ref ref −0.05, 0.05
Quintile 2 0.3 (0.3–0.3) 0.00 −0.05, 0.05 −0.00 −0.05, 0.04
Quintile 3 0.5 (0.4–0.6) 0.00 −0.04, 0.05 −0.01 −0.06, 0.04
Quintile 4 0.8 (0.6–0.8) −0.01 −0.05, 0.04 −0.01 −0.08, 0.02
Quintile 5 1.3 (1.1–1.6) −0.03 −0.08, 0.02 −0.03 −0.05, 0.05
P trend 0.16 0.15
Alcohole 0 0 Ref ref
1 – 14.9 g / d 2.9 (1.2–6.9) 0.01 −0.03, 0.05 0.01 −0.02, 0.05
≥ 15 g / d 25.4 (16.8–37.8) −0.02 −0.10, 0.05 −0.03 −0.11, 0.04
Monounsaturated-to-saturated fats ratiof Quintile 1 0.9 (0.9–1.0) ref ref
Quintile 2 1.0 (1.0–1.1) 0.02 −0.02, 0.07 0.02 −0.03, 0.07
Quintile 3 1.1 (1.1–1.1) −0.02 −0.06, 0.03 −0.02 −0.06, 0.03
Quintile 4 1.2 (1.2–1.2) −0.01 −0.06, 0.03 0.01 −0.04, 0.06
Quintile 5 1.3 (1.3–1.4) −0.06 −0.11, −0.02 −0.03 −0.08, 0.01
P trend 0.002 0.13

Abbreviations: BMI: body mass index; SD: standard deviation.

a

Average of 3 repeated z-scores of global cognitive function over 4 years.

b

Average of 3 repeated z-scores of verbal memory over 4 years.

c

Values are given in points (alternate Mediterranean diet score, monounsaturated-to-saturated fats ratio), in servings/d (fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, meat) or in g/d (alcohol). Range is total range for alternate Mediterranean diet score, interquartile range for other variables.

d

Models included alternate Mediterranean diet score and the following covariates: treatment arm, age at initial cognitive testing, Caucasian race, high education, high income, energy intake, physical activity, BMI, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hormone use and depression.

e

Models included all alternate Mediterranean diet food components together (e.g., fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, red and processed meats, fish), alcohol intake and the same covariates as in d.

f

Models included the monounsaturated-to-saturated fats ratio, alternate Mediterranean diet food components not providing fats (e.g., fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains), alcohol intake and the same covariates as in c.