Padrão alimentar de idosos residentes em instituições de longa permanência

Abstract

Food is a human need on free demand and with many meanings. However, at the nursing homes it becomes a collective good, with defined schedules and controlled quantities, which may change the eating comportment and compromise the health of the elderly. In this sense, identify dietary patterns based on representative data for the population, can improve the understanding of dietary practices and assist the nutritional and educational interventions. The scarcity of information about food and nutrition situation of institutionalized elderly living in nursing homes in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, motivated to meet the dietary patterns of this group to support the development of strategies that provides better conditions of health to the elders. This study aimed to identify and characterize the dietary pattern of the elderly living in nursing homes and propose a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). This is a cross-sectional study, involving all elderly residents in philanthropic and private nursing homes located in Natal (n = 300). Food and dietary consumption data was obtained in 2013, through the food record method, by direct weighing of food for two alternate days. Dietary patterns were identified from the Principal Component Analysis, considering the average amount of food consumed (in grams). The factor scores of dietary patterns were categorized into tertile (low, moderate and high consumption) and were verified associations with sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, health, nutritional status and dietary practices, revealing the existence (or not) of tendency for each feature and the consumption levels for each pattern. To prepare the FFQ, it was previously defined a list of foods from the percentage contribution of energy, carbohydrate, protein, total fat, calcium and vitamin D. Among the most consumed foods are highlighted: dairy products, rice and preparations based on it, fruits and oil seeds, beans and legumes, fruit juices and drinks. It was observed that pap and porridge are the main contributor to the energy supply, protein, carbohydrate and calcium in the dietary. The FFQ consisted of a small number of Food Items that will be able to be applied in a similar population after improvement of its model. Three patterns were identified in food consumption, called "rice, potatoes and meat", "Fish and Pasta" and "beans and soups," explaining about 70% of total consumption variability. It was found that physically active elderly has tendency to a high consumption of the "rice, potatoes and meat" pattern. The elderly men, aged between 60-69 years, physically active, smokers, without mobility restrictions, which have excessive intake of energy and do not need help to feed, tend to high consumption of "fish and pasta". Finally, the male elderly with mobility restrictions and with pasty dietary tends to a high consumption of "beans and soups". Thus, the identification of dietary pattern shows the need of food interventions to avoid the increased prevalence of malnutrition among the elderly. In planning menus of the ILPI, it is necessary to establish measures that encourage the consumption of fruits and vegetables.