Planetary Health Diet adherence and frailty in two Spanish older-adult cohorts
In two Spanish cohorts of community-dwelling older adults, higher adherence to the Planetary Health Diet was associated with lower odds of frailty over repeated assessments; this is an association, not proof of cause. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
Two cohorts of community-dwelling Spanish older adults were studied: Seniors-ENRICA-1 (2008–2015, aged 60 and older, n = 3,289) and Seniors-ENRICA-2 (2015–2023, aged 65 and older, n = 3,273). [1]
Comparing the highest with the lowest adherence tertile, adjusted odds ratios for frailty were 0.62 in Seniors-ENRICA-1, 0.40 in Seniors-ENRICA-2 and 0.52 pooled. [1]
Higher adherence was mainly associated with lower odds of low physical activity, and vegetables and fruits showed the strongest independent associations among the index components. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Observational analysis of two prospective cohorts with repeated frailty assessments
- Population / context
- Community-dwelling older adults in Spain aged 60 and older (Seniors-ENRICA-1) and 65 and older (Seniors-ENRICA-2).
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- October 6, 2026
Frailty and diet in Seniors-ENRICA cohorts
The study asked whether adherence to the Planetary Health Diet, a plant-based dietary pattern, is linked to frailty over time. Data came from two cohorts of community-dwelling older adults in Spain: Seniors-ENRICA-1 (2008–2015, aged 60 and older, n = 3,289) and Seniors-ENRICA-2 (2015–2023, aged 65 and older, n = 3,273). Baseline diet was recorded with a validated diet history, and adherence was scored with the Planetary Health Diet Index (0–140) across 15 food groups. Frailty was defined by the Fried phenotype, requiring at least three of: exhaustion, low physical activity, slow gait, muscle weakness and unintentional weight loss.
Supporting source [1]
Lower frailty odds in the highest adherence tertile
Higher adherence was consistently associated with lower odds of frailty over time. Comparing the highest with the lowest tertile, adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) were 0.62 (0.42–0.92) in Seniors-ENRICA-1, 0.40 (0.24–0.65) in Seniors-ENRICA-2 and 0.52 (0.38–0.70) in the pooled analysis. The models adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle and clinical factors. Higher adherence was mainly linked to lower odds of low physical activity, and vegetables and fruits showed the strongest independent associations among the individual index components.
Supporting source [1]
Observational design limits causal reading
This is an observational cohort analysis, so the reported associations do not show that the diet causes lower frailty. Diet was assessed at baseline, while frailty was assessed repeatedly; the abstract does not report how many follow-up assessments occurred or how long participants were followed. The authors conclude that greater adherence is associated with lower odds of frailty in Spanish older adults and describe a potential role for sustainable, plant-based dietary patterns in healthy ageing. Only the abstract was reviewed; the full text was not reviewed.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. This is an observational cohort analysis, so associations are not causal. Diet was measured at baseline and frailty repeatedly, but the abstract does not report the number of follow-up assessments or follow-up length.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Diez-Echave P, Ortolá R, Martínez-Gómez D, Peñalvo JL, Domínguez LJ, Rodríguez-Artalejo F, Sotos-Prieto M. · europepmc.org · October 6, 2026