Evaluation of dietary cholesterol intake in elderly Chinese: a longitudinal study from the China Health and Nutrition Survey

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate daily cholesterol intake across demographic factors and its food sources in elderly Chinese. DESIGN A longitudinal study was conducted using demographic and dietary data for elders aged 60 and above from eight waves (1991-2011) of the China Health and Nutrition Survey. SETTING The data were derived from urban and rural communities of nine provinces (autonomous regions) in China. PARTICIPANTS There were 16 274 participants (7657 male and 8617 female) in this study. OUTCOMES The primary outcome was daily cholesterol intake, which was calculated by using the Chinese Food Composition Table, based on dietary data. RESULTS Daily consumption of cholesterol in the elderly significantly increased by 34% from 1991 to 2011 (p<0.0001) and reached 253.9 mg on average in 2011. Secular trends in the proportion of subjects with an intake of >300 mg/day increased significantly during 1991-2011 (p<0.0001). The major food sources of cholesterol by ranked order were eggs, pork, and fish and shellfish in 1991 and 2011, while organ meats which ranked fourth in the contribution to total intake in 1991 was replaced by poultry in 2011. Moreover, younger elders, male elders and elders from a high-income family or a highly urbanised community had higher cholesterol intakes and larger proportions of subjects with excessive cholesterol consumption in each survey year. CONCLUSIONS The large growth in daily cholesterol intake may pose major challenges for the health of elders in China. Reduced exposure to food enriched in cholesterol is required for elderly Chinese.