Validation of a MIND diet screener in older adults

Abstract

Introduction: Higher adherence to the Mediterranean-DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet has been associated with reduced Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk. This study assessed the validity of a brief 15-item MIND diet screener compared to a comprehensive food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Methods: The validity of an adapted MIND diet screener relative to the VioScreen FFQ was evaluated in 92 older adults from the Indiana Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (IADRC). Correlation coefficients and tertile-based classification statistics were used, and FFQ nutrient profiles were examined across screener-based MIND diet tertiles. Results: MIND diet scores from the screener showed strong positive correlation (r = 0.71, ρ = 0.70, p < 0.001) and comparable ranking ability (63% correctly classified, 1% grossly misclassified, kw = 0.67) compared to those from the FFQ, as well as significant associations with nutrient profiles. Conclusion: The MIND diet screener is an acceptable, time-efficient tool for estimating MIND diet scores in older adults. Highlights: The MIND diet screener effectively differentiated participants by diet quality. Agreement between instrument scores was consistent across diagnostic groups. Reliability of the screener over approximately 1 year was comparable to the FFQ. The MIND diet screener is an acceptable tool for use in time-constrained settings. Future studies should confirm validity using objective biomarkers.