Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026
08:47
Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Benefits of snacking in older Americans
Claire A Zizza1, Francis A Tayie, Mark Lino
1Department of Nutrition and Food Science, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA. Claire_Zizza@auburn.edu <Claire_Zizza@auburn.edu>
Journal of the American Dietetic Association
|May 1, 2007
Summary
Snacking is common in older adults and significantly increases daily energy and nutrient intake. This behavior may help older adults maintain adequate energy consumption, unlike in younger populations.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Energy intake often declines in older adults.
- Dietary habits significantly impact health outcomes in aging populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of snacking in energy intake and diet quality among older adults.
- To compare dietary patterns of older adults who snack versus those who do not.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 24-hour dietary recall data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2002.
- Included 2,002 adults aged 65 years and older.
- Employed linear regression analysis accounting for survey design and sample weights.
Main Results:
- High prevalence of snacking (84%) observed in older adults.
- Snackers exhibited significantly higher daily intakes of energy, protein, carbohydrate, and fat.
- Snacking contributed substantially to overall daily nutrient intake, with meals showing greater energy density in snackers.
Conclusions:
- Snacking is a prevalent and significant dietary behavior in older adults.
- Unlike in younger populations, snacking in older adults may support adequate energy consumption.
- Further research into the nutritional implications of snacking patterns in older adults is warranted.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Lifestyle Factors and Health
Lifestyle factors play a critical role in maintaining overall health and preventing chronic diseases. Key elements, such as regular physical activity, a nutritious diet, and abstinence from smoking, can significantly enhance physical, mental, and emotional well-being while reducing the risk of several life-threatening conditions.
Benefits of Physical Activity
Physical activity, whether through structured exercise or casual activities like walking, biking, or dancing, is a cornerstone of a...
Benefits of Physical Activity
Physical activity, whether through structured exercise or casual activities like walking, biking, or dancing, is a cornerstone of a...
01:30Development of Human Microbiota
The human microbiota begins developing at birth and undergoes continual change as we age. Infancy marks a critical period of microbial sensitivity, offering a “window of opportunity” during which beneficial microbes help mature the immune system. By age three, children typically develop a more stable and diverse microbial community. Newborns acquire microbes from their immediate environment; vaginal delivery favors maternal vaginal microbes, while cesarean births favor microbes from the skin...
01:22Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Absorption
As individuals age, their body's physiology evolves, affecting drug pharmacokinetics. The most apparent changes occur in the gastrointestinal tract, where an increase in gastric pH, a delay in gastric emptying, and a reduction in gastrointestinal motility are observed. Remarkably, these changes do not substantially modify the absorption of orally administered drugs, particularly those absorbed via passive diffusion.Transdermal drug delivery emerges as a highly viable method for older adults due...
01:00Pharmacokinetics in Geriatric Patients: Effect of Age on Drug Distribution
Drug distribution in the human body is influenced by several factors, including plasma protein concentration, body composition, blood flow, tissue-protein concentration, and tissue fluid pH. Among these, changes in plasma protein concentration and body composition due to aging significantly affect how drugs are distributed within the body. Specifically, aging is associated with a decrease in albumin levels by about 10% and an increase in α1-acid glycoprotein levels. These alterations are not...
01:27Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Age-related pharmacokinetic changes are extensively documented, but understanding age-related pharmacodynamic alterations is relatively limited. This knowledge gap can be partly attributed to the complexity of developing appropriate measures of drug responses compared to bioanalytical methods for determining drug concentrations.Most information regarding age-related differences in human pharmacodynamics originates from cross-sectional studies. However, these studies assume that observed mean...
01:15Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...