[Analysis on dietary patterns and influencing factors among the elderly in Yantai City]

To analyze the dietary patterns and influencing factors among the elderly in Yantai City.

A total of 2626 old people( ≥60 years old) were recruited from 6 districts in Yantai City, including Zhifu District, Muping District, Haiyang District, Zhaoyuan District, Longkou District and Changdao County by stratified cluster of random sampling and surveyed using general questionnaires and dietary questionnaires, while physical examinations were conducted. Factors analysis was used to identify the dietary patterns. Influencing factors of dietary patterns were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Three evident dietary patterns were derived by factors analysis including healthy( 31. 83%), traditional( 45. 63%) and western( 22. 54%) dietary patterns. Non-smoking older men with low-literacy were more likely to follow traditional dietary pattern. The highly educated elderly women were likelyto follow healthy dietary pattern. The elder with a family history of chronic diseases were likely to follow western dietary pattern( P < 0. 001). People who were in family with higher incomes( OR = 1. 53, 95% CI 1. 32- 2. 61) or had family history of diabetes mellitus( OR = 1. 43, 95% CI 1. 21- 1. 98) or family history of coronary heart diseases( OR = 1. 17, 95% CI 1. 08- 1. 84) used western dietary pattern more than healthy dietary pattern. In addition, the elderly male( OR = 2. 87, 95% CI 2. 27- 3. 38) using traditional dietary pattern were more than the elderly female using healthy dietary pattern.

There are three dietary patterns among the elderly in Yantai City. The main influencing factors include gender, level of education, economic level and a family history of chronic diseases.