In 1988, a Europe-wide, multicentre study on nutrition and health in the elderly (SENECA: Survey Europe on Nutrition in the Elderly: a Concerted Action) was started to examine dietary patterns in the ...elderly in relation to lifestyle, social and economic conditions, health, and performance. This paper evaluates the process of obtaining the baseline measurements of this longitudinal study and discusses quality control and difficulties encountered in gathering and comparing data in a cross-cultural, multicentre study.
Twenty-four hour energy expenditure (24EE) and spontaneous physical activity were measured in 13 overweight women before and at the end of an 8-wk slimming period. These measurements were repeated in ...10 women 1 mo after the slimming period (1-mo follow-up) and in eight women 1 y after slimming (1-y follow-up). The weight loss achieved after 8 wk of slimming (8.7-9.9 kg) was maintained throughout the follow-up periods; 24EE decreased during slimming from 9572 +/- 703 (means +/- SD) to 8060 +/- 471 kJ/d and increased after refeeding to 8379 +/- 739 kJ/d after 1 mo and to 8285 +/- 454 kJ/d after 1 y. On the basis of body weight, energy requirement (approximately 126 kJ.kg-1.d-1) did not change throughout the slimming and follow-up programs. Spontaneous physical activity, which had been lowered during slimming, tended to increase afterwards. No changes in metabolic efficiency seemed to occur or persist.
This study, entitled SENECA (Survey in Europe on Nutrition and the Elderly, a Concerted Action) was conducted to explore dietary patterns in the elderly in relation to both the social and economic ...condition of these people and their health and performance. About 2600 elderly people 70-75 years of age, living in 19 towns in 12 European countries, participated. The data comprise demographic, social, diet, mobility, health, and performance aspects
In this article dietary intakes of the water soluble vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, B6, folate, B12 and C in both free-living and institutionalized elderly persons living a Western lifestyle are ...reviewed. In total 37 studies on elderly people (aged 60 years and over) which were published between 1980 and 1993 are discussed with a view to the dietary assessment methods used, dietary recommendations and blood biochemistry. Dietary intakes of thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin B12 in general are found to be adequate. Vitamin B6 intake was found to be most frequently below the recommendations. A substantial proportion of the elderly had dietary folate intakes below two-thirds of the country specific recommendations in several studies. Vitamin C intake seems to be adequate in free-living elderly but tends to be low in institutionalized elderly. The use of water soluble vitamin supplements is not recommended for elderly people in general. More data are needed on optimal as well as safe levels of intake to allow for specific advice with respect to supplement use of vulnerable groups of elderly people
Epidemiology of Nutrition and Ageing van Staveren, Wija A; de Groot, Lisette C. P. G. M
Pathy's Principles and Practice of Geriatric Medicine,
04/2012
Book Chapter
Epidemiological studies have shown that diet as one of the modifiable lifestyle factors is associated with chronic diseases and functionality even in old age. However, in that age group frailty is ...likely to develop as a consequence of the ageing process, combined with one or more chronic conditions. As a result of these factors, in old age the role of nutrition may expand from the prevention of diseases to the supply of specific nutrients and the maintenance of food intake. Questions such as the importance of energy balance, a stable body weight, body composition, water balance and bone health are considered. In healthy elderly people, dietary intake is most often adequate, except for vitamin D and in the case of malabsorption also vitamin B
12
. The evidence behind so‐called risk nutrients and the groups of elderly people vulnerable to malnutrition are discussed.
Objectives: The appraisal and acceptance of micronutrient-dense versus identical regular foods among frail elderly are described. Methods:Four types of dairy and four types of fruit products, either ...enriched with multiple micronutrients or not, were consumed by 150 frail elders for 4 months. In the first 2 and last 2 weeks of the intervention, hedonic aspects were assessed. Afterward, evaluation forms were completed. Results:At the start, small but consistent differences existed between the enriched and the regular foods concerning the scores on pleasantness, desire to eat the product, and attitude toward the product. At the end, those ratings dropped slightly or stayed equal. Significant differences between groups emerged from the overall evaluation score: 6.4 ± 1.6 and 7.7 ± 1.7 respectively (p< .001). Discussion:Optimization of the hedonic parameters of nutrient-dense foods and major long-term attention for application in the daily elderly feeding pattern is of essential importance.
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