Kerstin Gustafsson

Meals and snacks among elderly self-managing and disabled women.

AIM The aim of this study was to describe the frequency and distribution of self-managing and disabled elderly womens eating events, as well as to investigate which definition/names the women had given their different eating events and to categorise these into meals and snacks. An additional aim was to study the composition of meals and snacks, and analyse the nutritional significance of these eating events in terms of energy and macronutrients. SUBJECTS Elderly women, both self-managing (n=139) and disabled (n=63; with Parkinsons disease, rheumatoid arthritis or stroke), aged 64-88 years, and living at home participated. METHODS A repeated 24 h recall and an estimated food diary for three consecutive days were used. RESULTS The eating events defined by the women that were categorised as meals contributed 74% of the total daily energy intake, while snacks contributed 22-23%. The meals that the women had defined as dinner, was the most energy dense meal. The frequency of eating events not defined by the women, was 30-34%, but contributed only 3-4% of the total daily energy intake. The disabled women had a significantly lower energy content in meals and most snacks, compared to the self-managing women. CONCLUSION The main conclusion was that elderly women still living at home had their meals distributed during the day and that these meals were characterised by individuality and flexibility.

Associations between perceived cooking ability, dietary intake and meal patterns among older women

Iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) is a global public health problem, affecting an estimated 51% of children below 4 years of age in developing countries and 12% in developed countries. Owing to rapid body growth and a depletion of neonatal iron stores, iron requirements during late infancy are higher than during any other period of life. There is a well-known association between IDA and delayed neurodevelopment in infants and young children. Early weaning to cow’s milk or formula unfortified with iron is known to increase the risk for IDA in this age group. Iron fortification of common infant foods is recommended in many countries. Iron supplements are often recommended for infants who are breast-fed for longer than 4–6 months and who do not consume adequate amounts of iron-fortified complementary foods. The scientific bases for these recommendations are discussed in this review, as are safety aspects, and the diagnostic criteria for IDA in infants and young child ren are critically examined. Keywords: Human infant, infant nutrition, iron-deficiency anaemia, iron status, iron supplementation, nutritional requirements

Reasons among older Swedish women of not participating in a food survey.

Objectives: To (a) examine participation rate as a function of municipality, age group and living status; and (b) investigate the main reasons for exclusion and declining as stated by the women themselves.Design: Analysis of participation rate and content analysis of statements given in phone calls explaining exclusion or declination from a project in which 24 h recalls and food-diaries were used.Subjects: Self-managing Swedish women (n=505) were systematically selected from a stratified random sample covering single living and cohabiting women aged 64–68, 74–78 and 84–88 y living in three municipalities.Results: No significant differences were found among included and declining women when municipalities and living status was analysed, but significantly more women in the oldest group were excluded (P>0.01). Among those in their 80s living at home, the usual reasons for exclusion were illness, disability or dementia, and many lived in institutions for old people. The four most used explanations to decline participation were ‘lack of time’, ‘tired, fragile, sick or having bad memory’, ‘not willing to participate in scientific studies’ and ‘too old and nothing to contribute’.Conclusions: The participation rate was, compared with other food surveys in the older generation, fairly good, especially among those in their 80s. However, the most active and the very ill and disabled did not participate.Sponsorship: The Swedish Council for Social Research, the Swedish Council for Forestry and Agricultural Research, the Swedish Foundation for Health and Care Sciences and Allergy Research and Uppsala University.

Strokedrabbade kvinnors svårigheter med mat och måltider

The aim of this study was to investigate: energy and nutrient intake in eighteen women stricken by stroke, how they perceived and valued food-related duties in everyday life, how they handled food shopping and cooking, and what strategies they used as well as what attitudes they held regarding the need for help. Swedish community-dwelling women, born 1912–1935, were selected for the study. Participants were both cohabiting and living alone. The methods used were a repeated 24-hour recall and qualitative interviews with an ethnographic approach. The results showed that the women struggled greatly to be independent in their performance of food-related duties. Some of them had a negative attitude towards aids and assistance. The wish to be independent and not to be a burden made it difficult for the women to accept help from relatives or society. The womens situation and their dislike for receiving help with food-related duties meant that their energy intake and intake of some nutrients were lower than recommended for this group of women. The implication for nursing is that care-plans for implementation of assistance should be developed in co-operation with the women in order to maintain their self-determination and that a positive collaboration should be established with personnel caring for the women. Women should also be advised to enrich their food with, for instance, cream or oil, and to eat nutritious snacks between meals.