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Use, acceptability and diet quality of Home Delivery Meals among ethnically diverse older adults
Author(s) -
Bermudez Odilia I.,
Imamura Fumiaki,
Yu Winifred,
Gao Ruoyun
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.20.4.a127-b
Subject(s) - medicine , environmental health , ethnic group , ethnically diverse , nutrient , gerontology , dietary fiber , demography , food science , population , chemistry , organic chemistry , sociology , anthropology
Information about acceptability, use and quality of home delivered meals (HDM) by homebound elders is limited. With this study, we aimed to assess food acceptability and dietary quality of HDM among 190 Massachusetts elders (67% women, mean age=77y): 50 Chinese, 54 Blacks, 50 Whites and 36 Hispanics. Food and nutrient content of HDM was compared to current dietary recommended intakes. As the results indicated, 30% of subjects (53% of Hispanic and 16% of Whites) reported dissatisfaction with delivered meals. About food use, 38% consumed all foods when received, 31% stored part of the meals for another eating occasion; 25% shared part of the meals with others, and 26% (38% Whites and 12% Chinese) threw away some foods. HDMs met the recommended levels of energy and of most nutrients, except sodium (exceeded upper limit). However, intakes were not satisfied by actual consumption of the delivered meals, particularly for energy (77.8% of estimated requirement), calcium (28.7% of adequate intake level), and fiber (39.7% of adequate intake level). In conclusion, HDMs, with few exceptions, were adequate to satisfy nutrient needs of HDM recipients, but not to fully satisfy their ethnic and cultural demands. Support: ARS contract 58‐1950‐9‐001and Massachusetts Vitamin Settlement Fund