A Study Related to Nutritional State of the Aged in Hisayama Town Changing by Nutrient Intake and Aging

According to development of the aging society, numbers of those bed-confined and those with senile dementia have increased rapidly in Japan. Thus, nursing care of the elderly persons has become one of the greatest social problems. For the purpose of obtaining the basic data to maintain a favorable nutritional state with good health both physically and mentally, their changes by aging was studied having the elderly persons in Hisayama town followed up for 10 years. METHODS Out of 1988 seniors over 60 years examined yearly for adult disease, 387 persons (162 males and 225 females) examined both in 1993 and 1998 and surveyed for their diet were employed, It was counted for 38.5% of the population of 70 years and over in Hisayama town in 1998. As parameters to evaluate nutritional state of the aged, BML, hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum total cholesterol, and serum albumin were studied. As to the diet survey, their state of nutrients intake, their intake by food groups, the nutrition ratio, and food consumption structure were studied. RESULTS 1) Decrease of height, weight, and BMI was noted in 10 years. 2) As for blood biochemistry both males and females showed decrease of hemoglobin, serum iron, total protein and serum total cholesterol, and increase of albumin and HDL.cholesterol on the contrary. 3) Under the state of nutritional intake, the nutrients intake ratio increased in the course of aging although the energy intake decreased. It suggested that a study referring to an individually requested amount is requested. 4) As for the energy intake ratio, the carbohydrate energy decreased, and the protein energy and lipid energy increased. 5) As the result of factor analysis, staple foods were found as the first and subsidiary foods and favorite drinks as the second. In 10 years from 1988 to 1998, the first factor shifted from rice to bread, and the second factor to the less amount of subsidiary foods. It means that a mode of diet with the aged changes by aging showing no adherence to rice as staple foods and small eating in subsidiary foods, showing a trend of selecting foods easily taken. It is requested to study further referring to the social background of these results.