The Moderating Role Of Diet Patterns In The Relationship Between Perceived Stress And Cognitive Function In Older Adults

The current study examined the moderating role of adherence to a healthy prudent diet and an unhealthy Western diet in the relationship between perceived stress and cognitive function among community-dwelling older adults. It was hypothesized that the association between perceived stress and cognition would be buffered by prudent diet and exacerbated by Western diet intake. 201 adults aged 60 and older participated in the study. Prudent diet was a significant effect-modifier, such that higher perceived stress was associated with poorer executive functioning at low levels of prudent diet. Prudent diet did not moderate the association between perceived stress and episodic memory. Western diet was not a significant effect-modifier in the perceived stress-cognition relationship. These findings provide preliminary evidence that a healthy diet may buffer the association between perceived stress and executive function in older adults. Future research with a more diverse sample is needed to confirm these findings.