A Study on Nutrient Intake, Food Behavior and Health Conditions according to Food Intake Diversity in the Elderly in a Local City

Kim, In Sook; Yu, Hyeo Hee; Kim, Yoon Sook

Abstract

This survey was carried out to study the difference of nutrient intake, food behavior and health condition according to food intake diversity in the elderly(age 65 year over and 74 year under) in a local city. A diet survey with one day 24-recall method was used for 216 subjects(65 male & 151 female). Based on a food intake diversity examination, including an evaluation of KDDS(Korean's Dietary Diversity Score ; counts the number of food groups consumed daily from total five food groups(cereal, meat, vegetable, dairy, and oil groups)), Meal Balance(apply the KDDS at breakfast, lunch and dinner), and DVS(Dietary Variety Score ; total number of foods consumed), subjects were clustered according to food intake diversity. Food intake diversity patterns of male and female clusters were classified each into threes(Male-low group(24.6%), middle group(33.8%), and high group(41.5%)/Female low group(41.7%) middle group(37.1%), and high group(21.2%). The averages of KDDS, Meal Balance and DVS were 3.0, 7.5, 14.8 in the male middle group, and 4.5, 10.2, 25.7 in the male high group, 2.7, 6.3, 14.3 in the female low group, 4.0, 8.6, 18.0 in the female middle group, and 4.5, 10.5, 25.7 in the female high group respectively. The average dairy intake of nutrients below the RDA were energy, protein, Ca, Fe, Vitamin A, Vitamin B2 and niacin in the male low group, energy, protein, Ca, Fe, Vitamin A, Vitamin B2 in the male middle group and energy, Ca, Vitamin B2 in the male high group but a little. Also the female low group had intakes of all nutrients except Vitamin C, the middle group had intakes of energy, protein, Ca, Fe, Vitamin A, Vitamin B2, and the female high group had intakes of energy, Ca, Vitamin A below the RDA respectively. Food intake diversity increasing, nutrient intake, food behavior and health condition proved to be good. This study explored the usefulness of cluster analysis in identifying food intake diversity of three groups of the elderly in relation to their nutrient intake, food behavior and health conditions.