Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Incident Frailty in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: There is limited evidence regarding associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and incident frailty risk among older people. Objectives: The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis regarding the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and incident frailty risk among older adults. Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines using PubMed in January 2021 for studies that prospectively examined risk of incident frailty in relation to fruit and vegetable consumption in older adults aged 60 and older. Methodological quality and heterogeneity were assessed. Odds ratios (OR) were pooled using random-effects or fixed-effects meta-analysis, depending on the presence of heterogeneity. Results: Among three studies included in this review, data of four cohorts were provided by two studies and used in meta-analysis. The highest fruit and vegetable consumption was significantly associated with lower risk of incident frailty compared with the lowest consumption (pooled OR=0.38, 95%CI=0.24-0.59, p=<0.001). Conclusions: This study provided the pooled evidence that high fruit and vegetable consumption may be beneficial for preventing the development of frailty in older adults. Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption can be a relevant strategy to prevent frailty.