[Nutrients intake in elderly people living in Providence, Santiago de Chile].
BACKGROUND
The information available on food intake in the elderly in Chile is restricted to individuals of low socioeconomic groups, but there is no data available on food intake in elderly of higher income groups.


OBJECTIVE
To assess food intake in a group of elderly people from Providencia County in Santiago, a middle income community.


METHODS
Forty one subjects (20 male), aged 60 to 73 years, were studied. Trained volunteers applied a 3 days food registry, to determine food intake. Intake was assessed using 1985 FAO/OMS/UNU recommendations for energy intake and USA Food and Nutrition Board recommendations for micronutrient intake.


RESULTS
The studied subjects had an adequate macronutrient intake, when compared with current recommendations. There was a relatively low intake of calories from fat (24.6% in males and 26.1% in females). Also, vitamin and mineral intake was adequate with the exception of calcium (64.5% and 57.9% of recommendation in males and in females respectively), zinc and folic acid (74.2% and 62.4% in males and females respectively). The intake of legumes and cereals was relatively low.


CONCLUSIONS
Food intake in this group of individuals was substantially higher than that reported previously for poor elderly Chileans and similar to that of industrialized countries. Food intake of the elderly is probably related to socioeconomic level.
Castillo
Oscar
O
Departamento de Nutrición, Escuela de Medicina, Laboratorio de Citología, Programa Bases Moleculares de las Enfermedades Crónicas, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Católica de Chile, Lira 40, Santiago. oscarc@med.puc.cl
Rozowski
Jaime
J
Cuevas
Ada
A
Maiz
Alberto
A
Soto
Mónica
M
Mardones
Francisco
F
Leighton
Federico
F
D000368:Aged; D002677:Chile; D004435:Eating; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors