Quality of Life and its Relationship With Healthy Eating Index Among Elderly People

Background: Since the population of Iran is aging, there is a growing need for more information about the quality of life (QOL) of this group. Proper planning for this age group with the aim of increasing their quality of life depends on the identification of factors associated with QOL. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between quality of life (QOL) and healthy eating index (HEI) in healthy elderly people living in urban areas of the Markazi Province, Iran. Patients and Methods: A two-stage stratified sampling design was adopted for this survey. The HEI 2005 scores were calculated based on three 24-hour dietary recalls and the SF-36 questionnaire was used to assess QOL. Body weight and height of the subjects were measured and body mass index was computed. Results: Men had significantly higher quality of life in all dimensions and components compared to women (P < 0.01), while there was no sex difference in the HEI scores. The HEI scores were positively correlated with the QOL total score (P < 0.05) and its physical health dimensions (P < 0.01); the significant correlation was eliminated after adjusting the data for age and gender. The HEI and QOL scores had no significant relationship with BMI. Conclusions: The findings of this study do not show a significant relationship between quality of diet assessed by HEI and QOL in elderly people. We suggest for future researchers to design comprehensive food guidelines and related Iranian eating indexes in order to precisely assess the dietary pattern of Iranians.