Nutrition of the elderly in a Mediterranean city in Spain: effects of life-style patterns.
We studied the food intake in a representative sample (121 males, 202 females) of the elderly people (greater than 60 years) of the city of Reus (Spain) living at home. The analysis of the consumption of nutrients revealed an energy intake lower than recommended but similar to that found in other surveys dealing with the same age group. We observed that in our elderly people, the major food sources of caloric intake were different in relation to those of adults of the same population. The distribution of energy percentage derived from several macronutrients is different in the elderly in relation to adults (35-64 yr) and children (3-4 yr) of the same population. In younger people there was a remarkably energy excess derived from lipids if compared with the recommended allowances, which does not occur in the elderly group. Among all the sociocultural characteristics of the individuals, the type of life-style is revealed as the major explanation of the differences in intake. The elderly males who live with younger people consume more energy (p less than 0.01), lipids (p less than 0.001) and carbohydrates (p less than 0.05) than those who live only with other old people. In elderly people living with younger ones, the energy sources become unbalanced in the same way as in the young people. We have not found any differences in the biotype of the elderly men in relation to the patterns of life-style which may explain the different intakes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Fernández-Ballart
J
J
Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Reus.
Gordillo
B
B
Arija
V
V
Marti-Henneberg
C
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status; D013030:Spain