Korean J Community Nutr.  2016 Jun;21(3):256-264. 10.5720/kjcn.2016.21.3.256.

Diet and Health Status of Elderly Women According to the Family Type

• Choi MK
• Kang MH
• Kim MH

• KMID: 2328094
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2016.21.3.256

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to evaluate the diet and health status of elderly women according to the family type.
METHODS
A total of 307 elderly women participated in this study were divided into one of three groups according to their family type: residing with spouse (RSP; n=88), residing with son or daughter (RSD; n=119), and residing alone (RAL; n=100). Chi-square test was used to assess dietary habits and health status of the subjects by the family types.
RESULTS
Results demonstrated significant associations between eating regular meals, person preparing meals, coffee intake, and bone fracture experience and family type. Among the three groups, the RSP and RAL groups had a higher percentage for preparing meals by themselves (p<0.001) than the RSD group. The RAL group had a lower percentage for eating regular meals (p<0.01) but a higher percentage for bone fracture experience (p<0.05) than the other groups. There were no significant differences in monthly allowance, self-estimated health status, physical activity, exercise, drinking, and dietary habits such as frequency of consumption of dairy, beans, eggs, fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables among the three groups.
CONCLUSIONS
The results showed that elderly women residing alone without a son, daughter, or spouse had more diet-related and health problems such as irregular meals and high bone fracture experience. These findings suggested that elderly women residing alone need more attention and support.

Keyword

diet; health; elderly women; living alone; family type

MeSH Terms

Aged*
Coffee
Diet*
Drinking
Eating
Eggs
Female
Food Habits
Fractures, Bone
Fruit
Humans
Meals
Meat
Motor Activity
Nuclear Family
Ovum
Spouses
Vegetables
Coffee

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