Nutritional status of the elderly in Zürich

The nutritional status of 91 non-institutionalized elderly persons from the Zurich area, aged between 63 and 83 years, was investigated. Three different methods were used to establish the food intake and the nutritional status of these volunteers, respectively: (1) chemical determination of the nutrient content of the daily consumed food; (2) calculation of its nutrient content based on the interviews with the volunteers, and (3) assessment of the vitamin (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C) and iron status by various biochemical and chemical assays. Additionally, weight, height, and blood pressure of each person were recorded and hemoglobin concentration, red and white blood cell counts, hematocrit, serum cholesterol, serum triglycerides, and blood sugar determined. The results of the three methods were compared. The values of the interview method based on a questionnaire, and the assessment of the vitamin and iron status agreed well with each other. They showed that the nutrient intake covered the RDA, and vitamin and iron intake of the elderly were satisfactory with a few exceptions. The nutrient content of the daily meals determined by chemical methods was lower than the calculated results based on the interviews. The possible reasons for this discrepancy as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the employed methods are discussed.