The Study of the Relevant Factors of the Nutritional Status for the Elderly in the Community Care Centers

• Main Authors: ZHUO,YU-TING, 卓郁婷
• Other Authors: CHEN,LIANG-JU
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2019
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/qj68n7

碩士 === 弘光科技大學 === 健康事業管理研究所 === 107 === Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the demographic characteristics, health status, dietary behaviors, and nutritional status of elders in community care centers, and to explore the influences of the elders’ dietary behaviors and nutritional statuses to act as reference for future meal preparations of community care centers and also for the reference of related nutritional policies. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional study. The study subjects were elders aged 65 years old and above who were participated activities in the community care center of Taichung City Shalu District. A reliable and validated structured questionnaire was used to collect data including demographic characteristics, health status, dietary behaviors, and nutritional status. A total of 350 questionnaires were administered, and 300 valid samples were collected. SPSS 19.0 software was used for descriptive statistical analysis, and chi-squared test, independent t test, ANONA, and a logistic regression were used to analyze the factors influencing the elders’ nutritional statuses. Results: The majority of subjects were females (74.00%), aged an average of 75.38 years, and 38.29% of subjects had nutritional status abnormalities. Those aged 75 years or above, without education, without spouse, with 3 or more chronic diseases, with removable partial denture, with complete denture without government subsidy, and those who prepared their own breakfast had significantly higher rates for nutritional status abnormalities. Logistic regression analysis revealed that after controlling for other variables, those with removable partial denture (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.16–0.90); economically supported by their children (OR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.17–0.97); or those with retirement pension (OR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.12–0.84) had significantly less nutritional status abnormalities; those with 3 or more chronic diseases had significantly more nutritional status abnormalities (OR = 3.25, 95% CI: 1.17–9.05). Conclusions: It was suggested that the community care centers should perform timely evaluations of participants for their nutritional status, teeth, oral, chewing and swallowing situations, examinations of denture status, review of situation of meals provided, and provide special care for nutritional status abnormality high-risk populations. According to individual dietary requirements, the centers could provide timely meal preparation techniques, conduct health seminars and oral care activities, and educate the elders with correct concepts of a balanced nutritional diet, to increase the elders’ nutritional knowledge and their ability to manage their own nutritional health.