The relationship between health self-perception, food consumption and nutritional status among Portuguese older adults

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2019

Authors

Babo, M. (Author) FCNAUP; Poínhos, Rui (Author) FCNAUP; Franchini, Bela (Author) FCNAUP; Afonso, Cláudia (Author) FCNAUP; Oliveira, Bruno (Author) FCNAUP; Almeida, Maria Daniel Vaz de (Author) FCNAUP

Journal

Title: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Vol. 73

Pages: 1613-1617

ISSN: 0954-3007

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 1 Citation

Scopus - 2 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Medical and Health sciences

CORDIS: Health sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00Q-WKD

DOI: 10.1038/s41430-019-0473-2

Abstract (EN): In Portugal people aged 65 and above will be the populational group with the highest growth rate of the next decades. Healthy ageing constitutes a challenge as not only the number of years lived are essential, but also the quality of life becomes a priority. The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between health self-perception (HSP), food consumption and nutritional status among Portuguese older adults. Four hundred fifty-nine older adults (aged ¿ 65) were interviewed, almost half had a positive HSP. The most significant predictor of HSP was nutritional status, p = 0.005, but independence in shopping had the largest impact on how they compared to others, p < 0.001. Interventions need to focus on factors like nutritional status, independency on Activities of Daily Living, Satisfaction with Food-Related Life and utilize them to modify the negative HSP and attitudes towards ageing and health and maximize the positive aspects of old age. © 2019, Springer Nature Limited.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific