Quality of nutritional uptake of community-dwelling, care-dependent older adults in Zurich

Abstract

Objective: This study evaluated the quality of nutritional uptake of the care-dependent, community-dwelling older adults.Methods: Community-dwelling care-dependent elders were recruited in this study. The food items along with their nutritional content were extracted from the participants’ refrigerators and categorized according to the NOVA classification (G1: unprocessed/minimally processed; G2: processed culinary ingredients; G3: processed; G4: ultra-processed). The nutritional information of the food items was entered into a dietary analysis software that analyzed the content. Data was verified for a normal distribution and non-parametric tests were applied for statistical analysis (p < 0.05).Results: 100 subjects (mean age = 81.1±9.5 y; mean MMSE: 26.6±6.8) participated in this study. The participants had significantly more G1 than G2, G3 or G4 (p < 0.001) foods. Women had more G1 items in their refrigerators than men (rs = 0.372, p < 0.001). Higher socio-economic status indicated a presence of more G1 (rs = 0.313, p = 0.002), G2 (rs = 0.342, p < 0.001) and G4 (rs = 0.237, p = 0.024) foods.Higher cognitive scores revealed an increase in presence of G4 (rs = 0.238, p = 0.023) items. Participants with an increased need for assistance had less G2 (rs = -0.332, p = 0.001), and G4 (rs = -0.215, p = 0.041) foods; age had no influence.Conclusion: The findings of this study confirm that the majority of care-dependent, community-dwelling adults procured healthy dietary aliments for their daily living; however, whether this correlated to the actual nutritional state of these older adults needs to be further investigated. This highlights the need for further investigation and tailored interventions to ensure good nutrition, emphasizing regular assessments and comprehensive support beyond just food access.Clinical relevance: Clinicians must recognize that access to healthy food alone may not ensure good nutrition in older adults. Regular nutritional assessments, personalized dietary interventions, and additional support services like meal preparation assistance, nutritional counseling, and tailored programs are essential to address specific dietary needs and preferences.