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Gender, adverse changes in social engagement and risk of unhealthy eating: A prospective cohort study of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (2011–2021)
Social isolation is known to influence both health and longevity, but its effect on dietary habits—particularly over time and across genders—remains less understood. This study by Mehranfar et al. (2025) followed adults aged 45 and older from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, focusing on how changes in social isolation and social activity diversity from the first to the second wave of participant reports were associated with shifts in fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake by the third wave. Data analysis revealed that women who consistently experienced social isolation were significantly more likely to reduce their daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Specifically, these women had 85% greater odds of not eating vegetables daily and more than twice the odds of not eating fruit daily compared to women who were not isolated in either wave. Additionally, women who transitioned from being isolated to not isolated still showed higher odds of reduced F/V intake. For both men and women, a limited range of social activities and reduced social engagement over time was associated with a 28–64% increase in the likelihood of reduced fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption. Women who initially engaged in diverse social activities but later decreased their participation also showed increased odds of infrequent fruit intake. Overall, ongoing social isolation appeared to affect women’s dietary habits more strongly, while limited social engagement was linked to poorer dietary outcomes in both genders. The authors recommend conducting further studies to gain a deeper understanding of how social ties influence eating habits over time. [NPID: Social relationships, fruits and vegetables, gender, longitudinal study, CLSA]
Year: 2025
