Food intake of older adults living alone
Brazilian National Dietary Survey
Palabras clave:
Aged, Eating, Family characteristics, Surveys and QuestionnairesResumen
Objective
The present study compared the food intake of Brazilian older adults living alone with older adults living with other people.
Methods
A cross-sectional study with older adults, aged 60 years or older, that had participated in the Brazilian National Dietary Survey conducted in 2017-2018, a representative sample of the Brazilian population (N=8,336). Living alone was defined as living in one-person households. Food intake was evaluated using a 24-hour food recall, and the frequencies and confidence intervals of 95% (95% CI) of the intake of food groups and Prevalence Ratio (PR) – according to housing condition – were estimated for the total population and sex-stratified.
Results
The frequency of older adults living alone was 15.8%, and higher among women compared to men (17.4% vs. 13.9%). In the sex-stratified analysis, men and women living alone had lower frequency of coffee intake (PR=0.89 and 0.93), solid fats (PR=0.77 and 0.75) and leafy vegetables (PR=0.68 and 0.74). Men also had lower intake of non-leafy vegetables (PR=0.57), poultry and poultry dishes (PR=0.77) and whole grains (PR=0.47), and higher intake of pasta (PR=1.32) while women had lower intake of fruit juice (PR=0.75) and sauces (PR=0.38) compared to those who lived with other people.
Conclusion
Older adults who lived alone consumed less foods considered traditional for the Brazilian population, with distinct characteristics according to sex. Importantly, the condition of living alone should be considered when planning actions to support healthy aging.
Citas
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Derechos de autor 2025 Ingrid Thais Reis Pinheiro, Ana Paula Muraro, Amanda Cristina de Souza Andrade, Márcia Gonçalves Ferreira, Rosangela Alves Pereira, Paulo Rogério Melo Rodrigues
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución 4.0.
