Dietary practice and associated factors among elderly people in Northwest Ethiopia, 2022: Community based mixed...

The planet's population is aging at an incredible speed. Poor dietary practices are a major problem among the elderly. However, literature is scarce on dietary practices among elders in the study area. Therefore, the results of this study may give information to decision-makers.

This study aimed to assess dietary practices and associated factors among elderly people in Northwest Ethiopia, in 2022.

A community-based mixed study design was employed among elderly people from May 20 to July 2, 2022. Systematic random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used for selecting study participants in quantitative and qualitative studies, respectively. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire for the quantitative part and an interview guide for the qualitative part. Binary logistic regression analysis was used. A P-value less than or equal to 0.05 was used to declare statistically significant variables. A crude odds ratio and an adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval were used to measure the strength of the association. Thematic analysis was used for qualitative data analysis.

A total of 422 participants were recruited for the study. Twenty-six in-depth interviews were done. The prevalence of adequate dietary practice was only 54.5% [95% CI: (49.8, 59.2)]. It was significantly associated with being aged between 65 to 74 years (AOR: 8.32; 95 CI: 3.9, 18.1), being aged between 75 to 84 years (AOR: 2.90; 95% CI: 1.1, 7.9), eating sometimes alone (AOR: 1.86; 95% CI: 1.03, 3.4), eating always with family members (AOR: 4.96; 95% CI: 2.6, 9.4), and food security (AOR: 3.13; 95% CI: 1.8, 5.4). Thematic analysis revealed three themes that interfere with the dietary practices of elders. A majority of in-depth interviewees mentioned that there were taboos and cultural beliefs which favor inadequate dietary practices of the elderly; the study participants reported that individual, economic, societal, and physiological factors are barriers affecting the dietary practices of the elderly, and all respondents have no experiences regarding elderly dietary practices.

The prevalence of adequate dietary practice was low. It was significantly associated with age, with whom feeding, and household food security status. Taboos and cultural beliefs, barriers, and experiences hampered the dietary practices of elders. Therefore, improving the dietary practices of elders focusing on advanced age, loneliness, food security, taboos, cultural beliefs, barriers, and experiences regarding dietary practices should be done.