Adherence to various dietary quality indices of centenarian offspring in the New England centenarian study

Authors: ZHAO, ERFEI - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University; SCHLUTER, EMMA - Harvard University; EL-ABBADI, NAGLAA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University; SHEA, KYLA - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University; MCKEOWN, NICOLA - Boston University; JACQUES, PAUL - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University; LORDS, HANNAH - Boston University; ANDERSEN, STACY - Boston University; PERLS, THOMAS - Boston University; SEBASTIANI, PAOLA - Tufts Medical Center; ARDISSON KORAT, ANDRES - Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging At Tufts University

Submitted to: Journal of Nutrition Health and Aging
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/26/2026
Publication Date: 3/10/2026
Citation: Zhao, E., Schluter, E., El-Abbadi, N., Shea, K., McKeown, N., Jacques, P., Lords, H., Andersen, S., Perls, T., Sebastiani, P., Ardisson Korat, A. 2026. Adherence to various dietary quality indices of centenarian offspring in the New England centenarian study. Journal of Nutrition. 30(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnha.2026.100822.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnha.2026.100822

Interpretive Summary: Research shows that offspring of long-lived individuals, such as centenarians, often enjoy better health and longer survival than their peers. However, little is known about their diets. To address this gap, we studied the diets of over 460 participants in the New England Centenarian Study, comparing centenarian offspring with their spouses using four established diet quality indices. We also assessed how age, sex, and education influenced diet quality. Results showed no significant advantage in diet quality among centenarian offspring compared with their spouses. Instead, education was the most consistent predictor of higher scores, while younger age and female sex also influenced diet quality. Compared with national cohorts, participants demonstrated modestly higher overall diet quality. These findings indicate that diet quality among centenarian offspring resembles that of their peers and is shaped more by education, age, and sex than by familial longevity, with education emerging as a key pathway for supporting healthier eating.

Technical Abstract: Background: Some centenarian offspring (CO) show survival and health advantages compared to population controls, yet little is known about their dietary patterns. Objective: To characterize participants' diets according to four established dietary patterns: the Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), the Mediterranean-DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND), and the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) in the New England Centenarian Study (NECS). Design: We analyzed 463 NECS participants (334 CO, 128 spouses as controls) who completed a 131-item food frequency questionnaire in 2005. We computed dietary scores and performed linear regression adjusting by CO status, sex, age, education, and marital status. Results: Participants' mean (SD) age was 73.6 (9.2) years; 55.1% were women. Overall mean (SD) index scores were: AHEI 49.7 (11.0), HEI 70.0 (9.2), MIND 7.8 (1.8), and PHDI 86.9 (12.0). No significant differences were observed between CO and their spouses across the indices, except that CO with lower education scored lower than spouses on HEI and PHDI, a difference not observed among those with college or graduate degrees. Education was a strong factor associated with higher diet scores and higher intakes of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean/plant proteins. Age and sex shaped diet quality at the component level: younger participants consumed less red/processed meat, added sugars, butter, oils, and sodium than older participants, while women scored higher on vegetables, dairy, and sugary foods than men. Compared with national dietary surveys, NECS participants scored modestly higher overall; however, they scored lower on some components (e.g., whole grain, legume, soy). Conclusion: The NECS older adults exhibit modestly stronger overall diet quality than other U.S. peers of similar age. Education emerged as the most consistent determinant of healthier diet scores, while younger age and female sex were associated with more favorable component-level patterns. These findings underscore the central influence of sociodemographic factors on dietary behaviors, rather than familial longevity.