title: Effectiveness of a food education program in improving appetite and nutritional status of elderly adults living at home.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate a 3-week program comprising cooking demonstrations with free food samples in motivating elderly adults to cook more and improve their nutritional status.
  
  
  METHODS
  An experimental pre-post study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three districts in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty aged 59-95 home-living adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Group A (one 1-day food sample given free weekly) and Group B (three 1-day food samples given free weekly).
  
  
  METHODS
  Satisfaction questionnaires were conducted every week. Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) scores were assessed at baseline and 6 months after the program's completion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nutritional status was assessed before and after intervention. Repeated analysis of variance measures of compliance, appetite, easiness of program at 3-week time-points were calculated to differentiate a more frequent (Group B) and a less frequent (Group A) provision of food sample reinforced their cooking skills to a greater extent.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The compliance rate of Group B was higher than that of Group A. More than 60% of the participants intended to continue cooking and a third of the participants expressed satisfaction with the program. The MNA scores had improved 6 months later (combined data from both groups).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nutrition education through cooking demonstrations and the community-based distribution of food ingredients can improve the nutrition status of the elderly population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Physical Education, the Hong Kong Institute of Education, 10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. chungmy@ied.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Louisa Ming Yan
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Joanne Wai Yee
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001066:Appetite / Q000502:physiology*; D003296:Cooking / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004032:Diet / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires