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Relative Impact of Selected Factors on Food Choices of Elderly Individuals1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Anja C. Niewind ,
Magdalena Krondl  and
Daisy Lau
Anja C. Niewind
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Magdalena Krondl
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
Daisy Lau
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
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Abstract

This study examined the food variety and the effects of seven factors reflective of social, economical and health indices on the food choices of sixty-two urban dwelling individuals between sixty to seventy years of age. Food variety was assessed in terms of 157 foods grouped into eight food groups. The relative impact of the seven factors on food use was determined by Kendall's tau statistic. A salient identified factor was the use of dentures which reduced overall food variety. Living situations, particularly single dwelling conditions, exerted negative influences on food variety with the reduction of use frequency of foods in both bread and meat groups. The other five factors: education level, satisfaction with disposable income for food, social activity, emotional state and smoking habits limited food variety to a lesser extent than the aforementioned variables. The findings confirmed that attention to dental health and accommodation arrangements may aid in ensuring the diet quality of elderly persons.

Résumé

Dans cette étude, la variété alimentaire de même que l'effet de sept facteurs reflétant des indices sociaux, économiques et de santé sur le choix des aliments furent examinés chez soixante-deux citadins âgés de 60 à 70 ans. La variété alimentaire fut évaluée en termes de 157 aliments répartis en 8 groupes d'aliments. L'impact relatif des sept facteurs sur la consommation alimentaire fut déterminé à l'aide de la méthode statistique Kendall tau. Le port de dentiers, restreignant l'ensemble de la variété alimentaire, était un facteur saillant. Les conditions de vie, particulièrement celles relatives aux personnes vivant seules, exerçaient une influence négative sur la variété alimentaire en réduisant la fréquence de consommation d'aliments dans les groupes des pains et des viandes. Les cinq autres facteurs, le niveau d'éducation, la satisfaction face au revenu disponible pour l'achat des aliments, l'activité sociale, les états émotionnels et le tabagisme limitaient la variété alimentaire à un moindre niveau. Les résultats confirment qu'une attention particulière portée envers la santé dentaire et les conditions ménagères pourrait aider à assurer la qualité de l'alimentation des personnes âgées.

Keywords

elderlyfood selectionfood varietyhealth factorssocio-economic factors
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 7 , Issue 1 , Spring/printemps 1988 , pp. 32 - 47
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1988

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