Nutrition education for adults and the elderly: an experience in Open University for the Third Age
Keywords:
diet, nutrition education, aged, adult health, public health, health services for the agedAbstract
Objective
To evaluate an educational nutrition intervention developed for students of the Open Universities for the
Third Age.
Methods
The studied population was constituted by 44 individuals, 45 years of age or older, who attend four teaching
institutions in São Paulo County. The general plan consisted of a quasi-experimental study of the kind pre/test
and post/test verifications, with no control group. The educational actions consisted of four three-hour
classes, and the distribution of a study outline with the classes’ contents and a food-guide with general
information. Such actions were included as part of the activities offered by the institutions and were developed
by nutritionists during the second term of 1996. The personal data and knowledge about nutrition were
gathered through a self-applied questionnaire. The knowledge was verified applying specially elaborated test.
The alimentary practices, verified through a three-day food diary, had the following variables analyzed: total
energetic value, macronutrient proportion, cholesterol, vitamin A, calcium and iron content.
Results
For this group of individuals, the identified modifications were: the increased knowledge about nutrition and
a decreased consumption of lipids, proteins and cholesterol. Such modifications referred to the kind of food
consumed, amount of water ingestion, and ways of preparing foods. These alterations were motivated by for
health reasons, and the most mentioned information sources were the Open University and the personal
physician
Conclusion
On account of the educational activity, and in spite of the study limitations, the results showed a positive trend
in diet modification and increased knowledge about nutrition.
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