Effects of Health Risk Assessment and Counselling on Fruit and Vegetable Intake in Older People: A Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial

A M Herghelegiu,K M Wenzel,G I Prada,C R Nuta,A Moser,Andreas Ernst Stuck,A E Stuck

doi:10.1007/s12603-020-1373-9

A M Herghelegiu, K M Wenzel + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-020-1373-9

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Abstract

ObjectivesInterventions to increase fruit and vegetable intake among community-dwelling older people have shown mixed effects. We investigated whether an intervention based on an initial multidimensional health risk assessment and subsequent physician-lead nutrition counselling has favourable effects on dietary intake among community-dwelling older people.DesignRandomised controlled trial comparing the intervention versus usual care.Setting and participantsNon-disabled persons aged 65 years or older at an ambulatory geriatric clinic in Bucharest, Romania, allocated to intervention (n=100) and control (n=100) groups.InterventionParticipants received a computer-generated health profile report based on answers to a health risk assessment questionnaire, followed by monthly individual counselling sessions with a geriatrician on topics related to health promotion and disease prevention, with a special focus on adequate fruit and vegetable consumption.MeasurementsFruit and vegetable intake at baseline and at 6-month follow-up.ResultsAt baseline, fruit and vegetable intake was below the recommended five portions per day in most study participants (85% in the intervention group, and 86% among controls, respectively). At six months, intake increased in the intervention group from a median of 3.8 to 4.6 portions per day, and decreased in the control group due to a seasonal effect from a median of 3.8 to 3.1 portions per day. At six months, fruit and vegetable consumption was significantly higher among persons in the intervention group as compared to controls (median difference 1.4 portions per day, 95% confidence interval 1.1–1.7, p<0.001).ConclusionPersonalised food-based dietary guidance, delivered as part of multidimensional preventive health counselling during geriatric clinic visits, results in relevant improvement of fruit and vegetable intake in community-dwelling older adults.

Highlights

Introduction are not integrated into usual care, resulting in organisational or financial barriers for widespread dissemination [24]
We evaluated the effects of a novel continence [17], and other age-related health conditions
Self-reported fruit and vegetable intake was low in both intervention and control groups, with the vast majority of participants not adhering to the recommended intake of five or more portions per day (85% among persons in the intervention group, and 86% among controls)

Summary

Introduction

Introduction are not integrated into usual care, resulting in organisational or financial barriers for widespread dissemination [24]. High fruit and vegetable intake is associated with favourable A promising approach might be the integration of specific health-related outcomes in older people. It reduces mortality health promotion and disease prevention topics into ambulatory and morbidity related to cardiovascular disease, cancer, clinical care, thereby giving the physician the opportunity to diabetes mellitus, and other conditions in adult persons, address and emphasise nutrition counselling as including in subsamples of older persons [1,2,3,4].

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