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Living situations associated with poor dietary intake among healthy japanese elderly: The ohasama study

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Background

Rapid increases in life expectancy have led to concurrent increases in the number of elderly people living alone or those forced to change living situations. Previous studies have found that poor dietary intake was common in elderly people living alone. However, there have been few studies about the dietary intake in elderly people living in other situations, particularly those living with family other than a spouse (nonspouse family), which is common in Japan.

Objective

To examine the differences in dietary intake by different living situations in elderly Japanese people. We analyzed the data of 1542 healthy residents in the town of Ohasama aged 60 years and over who had completed self-administered questionnaires.

Methods

The dietary intake was measured using a validated 141-item food frequency questionnaire. Multiple regression models with robust (White-corrected) standard errors were individually fitted for nutrients and foods by living situation.

Results

In men, although the presence of other family was correlated with significantly lower intake of protein-related foods, e.g., legumes, fish and shellfish, and dairy products, these declines were more serious in men living with nonspouse family. Conversely, in men living alone the intake of fruits and vegetables was significantly lower. In women, lower intakes of fruit and protein-related foods were significantly more common in participants living with nonspouse family than those living with only a spouse.

Conclusion

These findings revealed that elderly people living alone as well as those living with family other than a spouse had poor dietary intake, suggesting that strategies to improve food choices and skills for food preparation could promote of healthy eating in elderly Japanese people.Key words: Living alone, livin

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for International Collaboration and Partnership, National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, Japan

    Megumi Tsubota-Utsugi

  2. Department of Nutritional Epidemiology, National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, Japan

    Megumi Tsubota-Utsugi

  3. Tohoku Medical Megabank organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan

    M. Kikuya & H. Metoki

  4. Department of Pharmacy, Tohoku University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    M. Satoh

  5. Department of Medical Informatics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan

    R. Inoue

  6. Department of Planning for Drug Development and Clinical Evaluation, Tohoku University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sendai, Japan

    M. Hosaka, K. Asayama & Y. Imai

  7. Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, College de France, Paris, France

    T. Hirose

  8. Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    K. Asayama & T. Ohkubo

  9. Center for International Collaboration and Partnership/Department of Nutritional Epidemiology, National Institute of Health and Nutrition, Toyama 1-23-1, Shinjyuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-8636, Japan

    Megumi Tsubota-Utsugi

Authors
  1. Megumi Tsubota-Utsugi
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  2. M. Kikuya
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  3. M. Satoh
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  4. R. Inoue
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  5. M. Hosaka
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  7. T. Hirose
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  8. K. Asayama
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  9. Y. Imai
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  10. T. Ohkubo
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Correspondence to Megumi Tsubota-Utsugi.

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Tsubota-Utsugi, M., Kikuya, M., Satoh, M. et al. Living situations associated with poor dietary intake among healthy japanese elderly: The ohasama study. J Nutr Health Aging 19, 375–382 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0456-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0456-5

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