Is hydration enough in a healthy group of the elderly in a Valladolid neighbourhood?

Abstract

Introduction: Health education is the best tool to promote changes in the behaviour in the elderly to increase liquid consumption as a habit. Objective: a) General: Improve the hydration in the elderly of a Valladolid neighbourhood; b) Specific: Determine water consumption and other liquids in an elderly group. Design an Education programme for health (EpS) to improve hydration. Method: A sample of 60 people between 65 and 88 years old was evaluated. It was composed of 50% males and 50% females, in an aged neighbourhood in Valladolid. All were regular users of the Senior Center. A questionnaire with ten items to evaluate hydration was filled by each participant. The results were used to design an EpS programme. Results: Evaluation of liquid intake: 53% females reach an intake of 1.8 l while 50% males only reach 1.3 l. Design of an EpS programme. Educational goals, which consist in three activities for 60 minutes, once a week, during two months: Feel and taste; Pyramid of healthy hydration; Trivial of water; Active methodology; Human and material resources; Evaluation. Conclusions: An EpS programme is a useful tool to achieve the increase of water consumption and that of other drinks with a consequent decrease of the dehydration risk in a specially vulnerable population group. Females have lower risk of dehydration than males due to consumption of other drinks apart from water.