[Effects of home-visit nutrition education on nutritional status improvement of an urban community-dwelling elderly women in Korea].
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects on home-visit nutrition education by a dietitian on nutritional status improvement of an urban community-dwelling elderly women in Korea.


METHODS
In the baseline survey, information on general characteristics, health-related characteristics, anthropometric measurements, biochemical measurements, nutritional knowledge. nutritional attitude, dietary habits, and food and nutrient intakes of 183 elderly people were obtained. The intervention group received weekly home-visit nutrition education over 4 months.


RESULTS
After home-visiting nutrition education, nutritional knowledge, nutritional attitude and dietary habit were increased significantly by 1.8, 2.1 and 6.9 in the intervention group (P<0.01), respectively, who also appeared to consume more cereals and their products, legumes and their products, vegetables, seasonings, milk and dairy products than the control group. It was found that the nutrient intake increased significantly regarding energy, protein, calcium, iron, phosphorus, thiamin and riboflavin (P<0.05). The MAR (mean nutrient adequacy ratio) increased by 0.22 during the period of the study in the intervention group, and 0.09 in the control group, the difference being statistically significant (P<0.01). Differences between in mean change of anthropometric and biochemical indices between the intervention and control groups were not significant.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that home-visit nutrition education by a dietitian is effective for improvement of the nutritional status of elderly women in an urban community. In conclusion, home-visit nutrition education should be recommended for nutritional status improvement and health promotion in the community elderly.
Epidemiology and Health Promotion Research Group, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology.
Jinhee
J
Kwon
Takao
T
Suzuki
Hunkyung
H
Kim
Heejung
H
Yoon
Sungkook
S
Lee
D000368:Aged; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006293:Health Promotion; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009752:Nutritional Status; D014504:Urban Health