Healthy diet has been linked to better age-related functioning, but evidence on the relationship of diet quality in late midlife and measures of physical capability in later life is limited. Research on potential sex differences in this relationship is scarce. The aim was to investigate the prospective association between overall diet quality, as assessed by the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) at 60–64 years and measures of walking speed 7 years later, among men and women from the Insight 46, a neuroscience sub-study of the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development. Diet was assessed at 60–64 years using 5-d food diaries, from which total HEI-2015 was calculated. At 69–71 years, walking speed was estimated during four 10-m walks at self-selected pace, using inertial measurement units. Multivariable linear regression models with sex as a modifier, controlling for age, follow-up, lifestyle, health/social variables and physical performance, were used. The final sample consists of 164 women and 167 men (n 331). Women had higher HEI-2015 and slower walking speed than men. A 10-point increase in HEI-2015 was associated with faster walking speed among women (B 0·024, 95 % CI 0·006, 0·043), but not men. The association remained significant in the multivariable model (B 0·021, 95 % CI 0·003, 0·040). In women, higher diet quality in late midlife is associated with faster walking speed. A healthy diet in late midlife is likely to contribute towards better age-related physical capability, and sex differences are likely to affect this relationship.

中文翻译：

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中年晚期的饮食质量与女性晚年更快的步行速度有关，但与男性无关：来自一项前瞻性英国出生队列的研究结果

健康饮食与更好的年龄相关功能有关，但关于中年后期饮食质量与晚年身体能力测量之间关系的证据有限。对这种关系中潜在的性别差异的研究很少。目的是调查 Insight 46 的男性和女性在 2015 年健康饮食指数 (HEI-2015) 评估的 60-64 岁和 7 年后步行速度测量之间的整体饮食质量之间的前瞻性关联，医学研究委员会全国健康与发展调查的神经科学子研究。使用 5 天的食物日记评估 60-64 岁的饮食，从中计算出 HEI-2015 总量。在 69-71 岁时，使用惯性测量单位在四次 10 米步行中以自选速度估计步行速度。使用了以性别为修饰因子、控制年龄、随访、生活方式、健康/社会变量和身体表现的多变量线性回归模型。最终样本由 164 名女性和 167 名男性组成（n331)。与男性相比，女性的 HEI-2015 更高，步行速度更慢。HEI-2015 增加 10 点与女性更快的步行速度相关（B 0·024, 95 % CI 0·006, 0·043），但与男性无关。该关联在多变量模型中仍然显着（B 0·021, 95 % CI 0·003, 0·040）。在女性中，中年后期较高的饮食质量与较快的步行速度有关。中年后期的健康饮食可能有助于提高与年龄相关的身体能力，而性别差异可能会影响这种关系。