journal articles
DIETARY INTAKE AMONG USERS OF A HEALTH PROMOTION SERVICE: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ADULTS AND ELDERLY PEOPLE
A.C. Souza Lopes, A. Nunes Lima Reyes, C.C. César, L.C. dos Santos
J Aging Res Clin Practice 2012;1(1):80-83
Objectives: To identify the dietary profile according to the age classification of users of a health promotion service. Design: Transversal study assessing dietary profile according to age. Setting: One health promotion service which provides both opportunities to practice physical activities and receive nutritional follow-ups for free. Individuals, of age 20 years and over, who were assisted by these services from February to September 2007 (n=300). Measurements: Anthropometry, food habits, and nutrient intake were evaluated. Results: Out of 300 individuals of mean age 49.7±14.1 years, 26.7% were elderly (> 60 years) and 87.3% were women; 44.0% were overweight and 33.7% were obese. The elderly individual presented greater risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, according to waist/hip ratio (42.5% vs. 30.5% among adults; p=0.050), greater prevalence of arterial hypertension (71.8% vs. 41.4%;p<0.001) and dyslipidemia (46.2% vs. 32.4%;p=0.026). Dietary inadequacy was more prominent among the adults, as the habit of eating while watching television (62.3% vs. 41.3% for elderly people; p<0.001), insufficient iron intake (49.1% vs. 32.5%; p=0.010), excessive zinc intake (42.2% vs. 27.5%; p=0.020) and excessive vitamin A (27.5% vs. 16.3%; p=0.049). Conclusion: Elderly individuals presented greater prevalence of chronic diseases, while dietary inadequacy was more prevalent among adults. This emphasizes the importance of healthcare actions between adults with the aim of preventing future complications.