Objective: The study evaluated the association between consumption frequencies of the major food categories and the risk of new depression four years later in older Taiwanese. Design: A prospective cohort study with multistage random sampling. Logistic regression analysis evaluated the significance of the longitudinal associations of intake frequencies of the major food categories with future (4 years later) risk of new depression, controlled for possible confounding factors with or without adjustment for cognitive status. Setting: Population-based free-living elderly. Subjects: Men and women (n 1609) $65 years of age. Results: In a regression model that controlled for demographic, socio-economic, lifestyle and disease/health-related variables but not cognitive status, both fruits (OR 5 0?66, 95 % CI 0?45, 0?98, P 5 0?038) and vegetables (OR 5 0?38, 95 % CI 0?17, 0?86, P 5 0?021) were protective against depressive symptoms 4 years later. However, when the same regression model was also adjusted for cognitive status, only vegetables (OR 5 0?40, 95 % CI 0?17, 0?95, P 5 0?039) were protective against depressive symptoms. Higher consumption of eggs was close to being significant in both regression models (P 5 0?087 and 0?069, respectively). Other food categories including meat/poultry, fish, seafood, dairy, legumes, grains and tea showed no significant associations. Conclusions: Results suggest that although confounding factors cannot be totally ruled out, more frequent consumption of vegetables seems to be protective against depressive symptoms in the elderly. Further studies are needed to elucidate the causal role and the mechanism of the association.

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BMI, mid-arm circumference (MAC) and calf circumference (CC) are anthropometric indicators often included in geriatric health measurement scales. However, their relative effectiveness in predicting long-term mortality risk has not been extensively examined. The present study aimed to evaluate the relative effectiveness of these anthropometrics in predicting long-term mortality risk in older adults. The study prospectively analysed the ability of these indicators in predicting 4-year follow-up mortality risk of a population-representative sample of 4191 men and women, 53 years of age or older in the 'Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan'. Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association of follow-up mortality risk with low (, 21 kg/m 2 ) or high ($27 kg/m 2 ) BMI, low MAC (, 23·5/22 cm for men/women) and low CC (,30/27 cm) respectively, according to Taiwanese-specific cut-off points. Results showed that low CC and low MAC were more effective than low BMI in predicting follow-up mortality risk in 65 -74-year-old elderly. But low CC and low BMI were more effective than low MAC in $ 75-year-old elderly, and low BMI was more effective than low MAC or low CC in 53-64-year-old persons. High BMI was not effective in predicting mortality risk in any of these age ranges. These results suggest that in elderly adults, CC is more effective than BMI in predicting long-term mortality risk. Thus, more consideration to CC and MAC in designing geriatric health or nutritional measurement scales is recommended.

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