[THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FEEDING BEHAVIOR OF POPULATION OF ELDERLY AGE GROUPS]

Purpose of the study is to analyze characteristics of feeding behavior (FB) in persons aged 60 years and older. The data of characteristics of FB were received through questionnaire survey of 1,045 men and women aged 60 years and older and residing in Moscow. The average age of respondents was 71.08±1.3 years. In the sampling, percentage of men was 36% and of women 64%. The following characteristics of FB were studied: frequency of food intakes, regularity of food intakes (compliance of regimen of food intake), qualitative composition of food, significance of quality of food consumed (compliance of requirements to feeding safety), as well as fact of consumption of flour, sweet and carbonated sugary drinks (compliance of regimen of caloric content). It is established that most of men and women of elderly age groups ingest food three or more times per day. The irregularity of feeding is the most common type of FB among representatives of elderly age groups, especially in women. However, with age increasing, percentage of people consuming food at different times decreases. In the first half of the day, the largest amount of food is taken by minority of polled representatives of elderly groups, regardless of gender. But with aging, the prevalence of such a behavior increases. The most men and women of elderly age groups also take food between their main intakes and most of them do it irregularly. The common practice of tea-drinking (coffee intake) between main food intakes is widely applied. Only minority of respondents of the elderly age groups carefully watch quality and composition of food consumed. The every fifth representative of studied age group did not follow rules of feeding and did not watch quality and composition of food consumed. Among the representatives of the elderly age groups, both men and women are highly committed to flour and sweet foods and dishes. No significant age differences in characteristics of food intake in population of elderly age groups was established.