[Food quality in the elderly population in Santiago of Chile]

Nutritional Status, Dietary Habits, and Physical Activity in Older Adults from Manta, Manabí

Defining the nutritional status and physical activity level of older adults makes it possible to guide them toward healthy lifestyles.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate dietary habits, nutritional status, and physical activity engagement in older adults living in the city of Manta, Manabí.

METHODS

An observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study of 130 older adults was conducted to determine nutritional status via anthropometry, self-reported frequency of the consumption of foodstuffs, calculation of the healthy eating index (IAS), and physical activity patterns.

RESULTS

Average age was 71.62 ± 4.34 years, whilst 83.07% of participants were at nutritional risk due to being overweight or obese. Dietary habits in males were characterized by the consumption of three meals a day, as well as greater intake of cereals, roots, tubers, and milk and its derivatives, whilst females consumed more fruits and vegetables. Meat was widely consumed, although females consumed more fish and seafood than males. Eggs were hugely popular foods, in contrast to legumes. Pasta was a dietary staple in females. Visible fats and luncheon meats were consumed little. IAS values reflected the "need to change", whilst physical activity engagement was found to be low.

CONCLUSIONS

The nutritional status of the present study population was characterized by a tendency toward increasing overweight, particularly amongst females, with the predominance of class 1 obesity, low physical activity, and a healthy eating index requiring change toward more healthy habits.

Influence of Sociodemographic, Health-Related, and Behavioral Factors on Food Guidelines Compliance in Older Adults: A Hierarchical Approach from the Chilean National Health Survey 2016-17 Data

Dietary habits are determinants in the development of a range of conditions and age-related diseases. We explored the associations of sociodemographic, health-related indicators, and health behavioral factors on dietary guideline compliance in elderly Chileans. We used a cross-sectional design using the publicly available database from the last Chilean National Health Survey (2016−17). The sample of 1831 older adults (≥60 y) from a national representative sample. The dependent variable was compliance with Food Guidelines (FG) (daily consumption of water, dairy, and fruits and vegetables; and weekly consumption of legumes and fish). The independent variables included sociodemographic, health-related, and behavioral factors. Over half (51.8%) of the sample was female and 85.7% belonged to the 60−79 age group. Satisfactory compliance to FG was observed in 3.9% of the sample. In the adjusted analysis, for those between 60 and 79 y, marital status was the only significant variable associated with FG noncompliance (PR: 1.34; 95%CI: 1.04−1.71). For those over 80 y, income of >2 minimum wages (PR: 0.10; 95%CI: 0.02−0.61), living alone (PR: 1.72; 95%CI: 1.20−2.47), and self-reported cardiovascular disease (PR: 0.63; 95%CI: 0.43−0.93) were associated with FG noncompliance. We observed low FG compliance among elderly Chilean adults, especially in the oldest group. Factors associated with the FG compliance was different between age groups.

Food Consumption and Characteristics Associated in a Brazilian Older Adult Population: A Cluster Analysis

Epidemiological studies support diet as a factor in the prevention and treatment of non-communicable chronic diseases, whose occurrence increases with age due to the poor choices or the adoption of a monotonous diet. The aim of this study was to construct the food consumption profiles of older adults of a Brazilian city to identify the main food groups and eating habits that contribute to these profiles and to estimate its association with socioeconomic characteristics, health and use of health services, lifestyle, and anthropometric indicators. This is a population-based cross-sectional study conducted with a representative sample of 621 community-dwelling older adults (≥60 years) in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The food consumption profile was the dependent variable obtained from a Food Frequency Questionnaire, utilizing the two-step cluster method. The multiple multinomial logistic regression model was used to estimate the independent associations, obtaining the odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Three clusters were generated, namely, (1) "unhealthy" (2) "less unhealthy," and (3) "fairly healthy." The cluster "unhealthy" was characterized by a regular consumption of beans, fats, fatty/processed meats, and whole milk. The factors independently associated with this cluster were lower education level, lower individual income, history of at least one doctor's appointment in the year preceding this study, and being a former smoker. The cluster "less unhealthy" was characterized by a regular consumption of beans, green vegetables, vegetables and fruits, as well as fats, fatty/processed meats, and whole milk. The factors independently associated with the "less unhealthy" cluster were lower education level and history of at least six doctor's appointments in the prior year. The cluster "fairly healthy" was characterized by the same pattern of "less unhealthy," except for skim milk and low-fat dairy products. The evidence of the associations indicates the profile of older adults who require greater attention and care related to improved nutrition. The illiterate or semi-literate aged individuals, those with low income, and those who neglect to seek medical advice must be the focus of healthy eating actions and programs.

Chilean Digital Press Coverage of the Relation between Diet and Mental Health

Chile has a serious public health problem due to the high prevalence of both unhealthy dietary patterns and mental illnesses. Given that dietary quality is positively associated with the quality of mental health, it is urgent that healthy dietary patterns be promoted among Chileans. The WHO recommends the use of mass media for the dissemination of knowledge about mental health. Since health news affect people’s attitudes and health behaviors, this study analyzed the coverage by three Chilean online newspapers with the largest readership regarding the relation between diet and mental health in 2016. A previously constructed corpus of 2551 news items about food was analyzed quantitatively. The results show that the relevance of the topic diet and mental health was low in all three newspapers. The most frequent type of information was on “foods” and not “nutrients” that “benefit”—not that “damage”—mental health. The quality of the news was poor as a narrow range of sources was found. An individual responsibility frame predominated in the information to the detriment of a public health frame.