Associations between dairy consumption and the physical function in Japanese community-dwelling older adults: The Shimane CoHRE study

Objectives: We investigated sex differences in the associations between dairy consumption and the physical function among community-dwelling older adults. Methods: Six hundred and fifty-six older adults (75.6 ± 6.4 years old) participated in this study. Dairy consumption (5-item Likert score) and the physical function (gait speed, handgrip strength, and skeletal muscle mass) were measured. The linear and quadratic associations between dairy consumption and the physical function measures were examined by a multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for covariates. Results: Among women, an increased dairy consumption was significantly linearly associated with greater hand-grip strength and faster gait speed (both p<0.05) after adjusting for covariates. Among men, dairy consumption was not associated with the physical function measures. Dairy consumption was not associated with the muscle mass in either sex. Conclusions: Increased dairy consumption was associated with a superior physical function in older women.