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Associations between neighborhood food environments and deficient protein intake among elderly people in a metropolitan suburb: A case study in Kisarazu city, Japan
Author(s) -
Hamamatsu Yuri,
Goto Chiho,
Nishitani Masaru,
Shimadate Riko,
Ueno Junko,
Kusakari Yoko,
Umezaki Masahiro
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
american journal of human biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.559
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1520-6300
pISSN - 1042-0533
DOI - 10.1002/ajhb.23043
Subject(s) - metropolitan area , environmental health , geography , gerontology , demography , socioeconomics , medicine , sociology , archaeology
Objectives Living in a poor food environment and its association with an increased risk of inadequate nutrient intake are increasingly important issues in Japan due to an increase in the elderly population. Methods The present study examined the relationships between neighborhood food environment and the protein and fat intakes of elderly Japanese individuals ( n = 181) living in the metropolitan Tokyo suburb of Kisarazu. Results A logistic regression analysis adjusted for sociodemographic and shopping behavior variables revealed associations between subjectively evaluated poor neighborhood food environment and deficient protein intake. However, there was no significant association between excessive fat intake and neighborhood food environments. Conclusion The findings demonstrate that living in a poor neighborhood food environment, which is becoming increasingly prevalent in Japan and other developed countries, has the potential to result in malnutrition, or at least in a low‐quality diet, in elderly populations.