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Changes in dietary patterns over a 6-year period in an elderly population
P J Garry1, R L Rhyne, L Halioua
1Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque 87131.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|January 1, 1989
Summary
Secular trends, not just aging, significantly impact dietary intake. Males experienced greater declines in energy, protein, and carbohydrate intake compared to females over a 6-year study period.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Gerontology
- Public Health
Background:
- Dietary intake patterns change with age, but secular trends and lifestyle factors also play a significant role.
- Previous studies have explored aging effects on nutrition, but the influence of societal awareness and media reporting on dietary choices requires further investigation.
- Understanding these influences is crucial for developing targeted public health interventions and nutritional guidelines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of aging and secular trends on dietary intake in a cohort of healthy adults over a 6-year period.
- To examine sex-based differences in the changes of energy, protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake.
- To differentiate the impact of aging from secular trends on nutritional consumption.
Main Methods:
- A 6-year longitudinal study was conducted, analyzing dietary intake data.
- Statistical analysis compared cross-sectional and longitudinal data to infer time effects (secular trends) versus aging effects.
- Assumptions of no significant cohort effects were supported by external data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
Main Results:
- A secular trend of decreasing daily energy intake was observed, averaging approximately 12 kcal/year in males and 4 kcal/year in females.
- Males exhibited a greater decrease in protein intake (1.1 g/day/year) and carbohydrate intake (-0.4 g/day/year) compared to females (0.6 g/day/year and -0.2 g/day/year, respectively).
- Fat intake showed minimal change in males and a slight decrease in females (-0.1 g/day/year).
Conclusions:
- Secular trends, driven by public awareness of diet-heart disease links, significantly influenced dietary changes over the study period.
- Males demonstrated more pronounced declines in energy, protein, and carbohydrate intake than females, suggesting sex-specific responses to these trends.
- The study highlights the importance of considering societal factors alongside aging when assessing nutritional changes over time.