Longitudinal Associations Between Dietary Patterns, Body Composition, and Mobility among Canadian Postmenopausal Women

Diet strongly influences aging-related health outcomes, particularly in women. This study aims to examine longitudinal associations between dietary patterns—specifically ultra-processed food (UPF) intake and the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological (PURE) diet score—and body composition and mobility among Canadian women aged ≥45 years in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Dietary intake is assessed using the CLSA Short Diet Questionnaire, a brief survey that asks participants how often they consume common foods and beverages to reflect their usual eating habits. Foods will be classified using the Nova system, which groups foods according to their level of processing—from fresh or minimally processed foods to ultra-processed products such as packaged snacks and ready-to-eat meals. Diet quality will also be evaluated using the PURE framework. Associations with body composition (percent body fat, body mass index, android–gynoid fat ratio – obtained through standardized physical assessments) and mobility (timed-up-and-go, 4 m walk) will be assessed, considering the role of self-reported sociodemographic factors, and glycemic and inflammatory biomarkers measured from blood samples.