DEVELOPMENT AND ADAPTATION OF DIETARY ASSESSMENT TOOLS FOR ELDERLY IN GEORGIA

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Nutritional Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Maintaining health, independence, and quality of life in the elderly necessitates understanding their unique nutritional requirements.
• Existing dietary assessment tools require adaptation to accurately evaluate the nutritional status of specific elderly populations.
• This research addresses a gap in nutritional studies for the elderly in Georgia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and analyze existing dietary assessment tools in medical literature.
• To compile and develop culturally adapted questionnaires for assessing the nutritional status of the Georgian elderly population.
• To provide Georgian healthcare professionals with reliable tools for elderly nutrition assessment.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of over 150 questionnaires across 15 types, selecting standard methods for daily and usual intake assessment, including the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF).
• Development of a comprehensive questionnaire comprising Historical Data (Health, Social-Economic, Medication, Diet), a Multiple-Pass 24-hour Recall (4 nonconsecutive days), and an Adapted Food Frequency Questionnaire (42 items).
• Validation of the adapted questionnaire using a study group of 75 healthy Georgian elderly individuals (≥60 years).

Main Results:

• A novel, adapted dietary assessment questionnaire was successfully developed for the Georgian elderly population.
• The questionnaire integrates historical data, 24-hour recall, and a food frequency assessment, tailored to local specifics.
• The study represents the first investigation into elderly nutrition within Georgia, establishing a foundation for future research.

Conclusions:

• The developed questionnaire provides Georgian medical professionals with ready-to-use, reliable dietary assessment tools for the elderly.
• This adaptation, considering the Georgian population's specificity, serves as a successful model for further nutritional studies.
• The initiative aims to motivate practitioners and researchers to continue developing and refining these essential tools.