Actual and perceived nutritional knowledge of elderly individuals

The perceived and actual nutritional knowledge of 150 noninstitutionalized elderly individuals was measured using mean scores on a 20 item test. Over 90% of those surveyed knew about the daily dietary need for vitamin C; about the life-long need for calcium; and about sources of fiber coming from whole grain breads and cereals. The elderly who thought they had fair knowledge of nutrition, in fact, did have higher mean scores on the nutritional knowledge test. Data analysis indicated that mean scores on actual nutritional knowledge were higher for those who were white and for those who were in a higher socioeconomic level. Mean scores of elderly men and women were found to be similar.