Table 2.
Association between adjusted mean DST score, diet-related practices and BMI: rural adults aged ≥74 years, Geisinger Rural Aging Study (GRAS), Pennsylvania, USA, autumn 2009
| Eating practice* | Adjusted mean DST score | 95 % CI | P value† |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skip breakfast | 51·7 | 49·8, 53·7 | <0·0001 |
| Eat breakfast | 60·8 | 60·4, 61·2 | – |
| Eat alone | 60·5 | 59·8, 61·3 | 0·71 |
| Eat with others | 60·4 | 59·9, 60·8 | – |
| Intake decline | 56·8 | 55·3, 58·3 | <0·0001 |
| No decline | 60·7 | 60·3, 61·1 | – |
| Excess alcohol | 58·7 | 56·5, 60·9 | 0·12 |
| No excess alcohol | 60·5 | 60·1, 60·9 | – |
| Food insufficient | 53·9 | 48·0, 59·8 | 0·03 |
| Food sufficient | 60·4 | 60·0, 60·8 | – |
| Not enough food each day | 58·9 | 56·1, 61·8 | 0·32 |
| Enough food each day | 60·4 | 60·0, 60·8 | – |
| No food some days | 57·4 | 49·7, 65·1 | 0·44 |
| Always have food | 60·4 | 60·0, 60·8 | – |
| Chewing difficulty | 58·2 | 56·3, 60·2 | 0·03 |
| No difficulty | 60·5 | 60·1, 60·9 | – |
| Mouth pain | 59·8 | 57·2, 62·3 | 0·63 |
| No mouth pain | 60·4 | 60·0, 60·8 | – |
| Underweight (BMI < 18·5 kg/m2)‡ | 55·8 | 52·9, 58·7 | 0·001 |
| Not underweight | 60·5 | 60·1, 60·9 | – |
*Controlling for sex, BMI, age, smoking status, education and self- v. proxy reporting.
†Represent differences between groups (appetite decline v. no decline, concern about food v. no concern, etc.) after adjustment for covariates.
‡Controlling for sex, age, smoking status, education and self- v. proxy reporting.