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Manual Activities of Meal Preparation and Consumption Play a Significant Role in Musculoskeletal Nutrient Intake among Homebound Older Adults
Author(s) -
Sharkey Joseph R
Publication year - 2011
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.25.1_supplement.97.7
Subject(s) - medicine , meal , dietary reference intake , reference daily intake , vitamin d and neurology , logistic regression , confidence interval , odds ratio , psychosocial , gerontology , nutrient , phosphorus , vitamin , calcium , environmental health , physical therapy , biology , chemistry , ecology , organic chemistry , psychiatry
Purpose Musculoskeletal nutrients (MN) – vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus – are associated with lower extremity physical function (balance, mobility, and strength) and with performance of basic tasks of daily living. Considering that manual, daily activities that involve meal preparation and consumption (AMPC) are important to older adults, especially those who are homebound, this study examined the influence of difficulties in nutrition‐related AMPC on usual intake of MN. Methods Self‐reported measures at baseline (demographic, psychosocial and health‐related factors, dietary intake of MN from 3 24‐hour dietary recalls, and seven nutrition‐related manual AMPC tasks) from a randomly recruited sample of 345 homebound older adults were examined. Ordered logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between level of difficulty in AMPC and dietary intakes <2/3 age‐ and gender‐specific Recommended Dietary Allowance/Adequate Intake (RDA/AI) in vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Results Almost 30% ( n = 102) found 1–2 AMPC were very difficult/impossible; 13.9% ( n = 48) reported ≥3 of 7 AMPC. Dietary intake <2/3 RDA/AI was reported by 92% for vitamin D, 72% calcium, 59% magnesium, and 3% phosphorus. Forty‐three percent reported <2/3 RDA/AI for 1–2 of the 4 MN; 52% for 3–4 MN. Independent of other factors, increased number of MN <2/3 RDA/AI was associated with gender, education, and difficulty ≥3 AMPC [odds ratio (OR) = 2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1–4.1]. Conclusions This study suggests that manual activities of meal preparation and consumption may play a significant role in MN intake. As such, future interventions should focus on improving AMPC and the type of food containers used by older adults, which may also improve nutritional health and quality of life.