Aging
Association Between Consuming Food Prepared Away from Home and Epigenetic Age Acceleration among Older Adults Jeffrey Liu* Jeffrey Liu Tuo Lan
Background: Healthy aging is a growing public health challenge. Evidence suggests that food prepared away from home (FAFH) is associated with higher mortality risk, but its relationship with aging remains unclear. The objective of this study was to examine the association between FAFH consumption and rapid epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) in older adults using nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,838 adults aged 60 years and older from NHANES 1999-2002. EAA was defined as the difference between Levine epigenetic age (DNAmPhenoAge) and chronological age, with the top quintile indicating rapid EAA. We categorized FAFH frequency into four levels (<1, 1, 2, ≥3 times/week) and evaluated the association between FAFH consumption and rapid EAA using multivariable logistic regression.
Results: The mean (SE) chronological age was 70.3 years (0.2), and the mean Levine epigenetic age was 59.7 years (0.3). 39.7% had FAFH <1 time/week, 21.4% once/week, 16.4% twice/week, and 22.5% ≥3 times/week. Individuals with frequent FAFH consumption were more likely to be male, non-Hispanic White, and have higher education and income. After adjusting for age group, sex, race/ethnicity, education, poverty-income ratio, smoking status, alcohol use, physical activity, body mass index, and healthy eating index, frequent consumption of FAFH was associated with increased odds of experiencing rapid EAA. Compared to consuming FAFH <1 time/week, OR was 1.77 (95% CI: 1.17-2.96) for once/week and 1.86 (95% CI: 1.09-2.88) for twice/week. No statistically significant association was observed for ≥3 times/week (OR = 1.31, 95% CI: 0.77-2.24).
Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that FAFH consumption is associated with rapid EAA in older adults. Public health efforts addressing the health risks of FAFH could serve as an effective strategy to support healthy aging in this population.