BackgroundVast accumulative evidence suggests that the consumption of tea and its components have various potential health benefits. This study used a longitudinal study to examine the causality between tea consumption and frailty in older Chinese people.MethodsThis study employed the longitudinal data from 2008 to 2014 of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), which were systematically collected through face-to-face interviews. Two thousand four hundred and seventy three participants completed six-follow-up surveys in 2014 and were analyzed in this study. The frailty index recommended by Searle and co-authors, including 44 health deficits, was used. A Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) was applied to determine the risk ratio (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for frailty, and further subgroup analyses were conducted to investigate whether the risk differed stratified by age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Additionally, the interaction between tea consumption with sex and frailty was tested.ResultsOf the 2,473 participants, 14.1% were consistent daily tea drinkers, and 22.6% reported frailty at the 6-year follow-up. Compared to non-tea drinkers, consistent daily tea drinkers reported a significantly lower ratio of having frailty [risk ratio (RR) = 0.54, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.38–0.78], adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, health behavior, socioeconomic status, and chronic illnesses. In further subgroup analyses, consistent daily tea consumption significantly reduced the risk of frailty for males (RR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.32–0.87) but not females (RR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.37–1.12); in the young (RR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.22–0.74) but not in the oldest (aged ≥ 80) (RR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.40–1.06); informal education (RR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.28–0.84) but not formal education (RR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.37–1.03); financial dependence (RR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.25–0.71) but not financial independence (RR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.41–1.23). Additionally, females showed a lower tea-mediated risk of frailty in occasional tea consumers (RR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.29–0.89) and inconsistent tea drinkers (RR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.37–0.93).ConclusionsHabitual tea consumption can reduce the risk of frailty in older Chinese, and the benefit varied by age, sex, education, and financial support.

BackgroundChildhood hunger not only directly affects the physical and mental health of children and adolescents but also has a long-term negative effect on later health outcomes. In this cross-sectional study, we used a nationally representative Chinese sample to examine the relationship between hunger in childhood and frailty in older adults.Materials and methodsThe data were obtained from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. The frailty index with 44 health deficits was used to identify frailty. Childhood hunger was measured by the question “Did you often go to bed hungry as a child?” Insurance status was categorized as New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme (NRCMS), Urban Basic Medical Insurance Scheme (UBMIS), others, and no insurance. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the adjusted relationship between childhood hunger and frailty.ResultsA total of 7,342 older people aged 65 years and older were analyzed in this study. Older people who experienced childhood hunger were more likely to have frailty than those who did not (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02–1.26), after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, family/social support, socioeconomic status, insurance status, and health behaviors. The association of childhood hunger with frailty was found in the 65–79 years group (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.03–1.43), women (OR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.08–1.45), individuals with rural residence (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.03–1.31), agricultural work (OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.00–1.34), financial dependence (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 1.02–1.37), and those participating in NRCMS (OR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.16–1.56). Participants with hunger in childhood who were 80 years or older (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.65–0.98) had lower odds of frailty. NRCMS (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.02–1.98) showed increased odds of childhood hunger-related frailty.ConclusionExposure to hunger during childhood is linked to frailty among older adults, and age, financial support, and insurance status may mediate this relationship. Targeted interventions and policies to address frailty in older adults should be implemented.