Dietary Behaviors of Elderly People Residing in Central Iran: A Preliminary Report of Yazd Health Study
Journal Title: Elderly Health Journal - Year 2016, Vol 2, Issue 1
Abstract
Introduction: Food habits play important roles in maintaining physical and mental health and preventing chronic illnesses in the elderly. The aim of the present study was to investigate dietary behaviors of elderly people residing in Yazd city which is located in central Iran. Methods: The present analysis was conducted on 1684 participants entered to Yazd Health Study aged over 60 years during 2014-2015. Demographic characteristics, health status, physical activity, economic status, education and dietary behaviors were collected by using a validated questionnaire. Results: Our analysis revealed that only 1.2% of the elderly consumed more than two servings of dairy per day. Furthermore only 3 and 9.8 percent of elders consumed more than three servings/day of vegetables and fruits, respectively. The study also showed that 22.9% ate more than five servings of sugar per day, 22.5% took more than four units of legumes weekly, 56.1% ate two to three servings of poultry per week, 77% reported eating fast foods for at least once a week, 47.8% consumed canned foods less than once a week of and 86.3% reported taking breakfast for at least five times a week. For cooking 18.9% of elderly still use hydrogenated vegetable oils, 52.8% of the elderly did not separate visible fats from red meat before cooking, 65.8% chose high-fat dairy and 24% of older people reported using frying and grilling as their primary cooking method. Our findings also suggest that dietary behavior is different between elder men and women. Conclusion: Unhealthy dietary habits, including low vegetables, fruits and dairy products intake, are highly prevalent among elderly people residing in Yazd. Community based interventions targeting this age group, in order to improve their dietary intake, are highly recommended.
Authors and Affiliations
Davood Bahrami, Masoud Mirzaei, Amin Salehi-Abargouei
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP211954
- DOI -
- Views 92
- Downloads 0
The Relationship between Social Support and Death Anxiety among the Elderly
Introduction: Social support is one of the most important indices affecting adaptation to aging process as well as the problems and complications of the aging period such as anxiety, death...
Associated Factors of Chronic Kidney Disease among Hyponatraemic Elderly Patients Attending a Primary Care Clinic
Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) emerges to be an important geriatric health issue. It may progress to end stage renal failure and affect the quality of life. However, little is known about the a...
Relationship between Lifestyle and Quality of Life in Older Adults -Yazd City, Iran
Introduction: Recent medical and health care improvement caused a remarkable increase in humans' life expand and subsequent increase in aging population. Beside life expectancy, quality of life is at the same importance,...
Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence among Elderly Women in Yazd, Iran: A Population-Based Study
Introduction: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common disorder among aging population especially women. Women are at more risk of UI than men, because of anatomic, social and cultural status and also because of pregnancy,...
Elderly and Care Givers’ Experiences of Transfer to Nursing Homes in Bam City: A Qualitative Study
Introduction: The elderly population has increased rapidly in recent decades, and consequently, admission to nursing homes is growing, but their experiences of this transfer have not been paid adequate attention. The aim...