Low intake of dietary fibers among the elderly: 2014/2015 isacamp population-based study

Abstract

The scope of this article is to evaluate the prevalence of inadequate dietary fiber intake and associated factors among elderly adults. A cross-sectional population-based study evalua-ting participants from the Health Survey of the City of Campinas (ISACAMP) was conducted in 2014/2015, with 1,074 elderly individuals (≥60 years). Dietary fiber intake was obtained using a 24-hour recall, and the prevalence of inadequate fibers was estimated according to the cut-off point of the Institute of Medicine (30 g/day for men and 21 g/day for women). The factors evaluated were sociodemographic conditions (sex, age, schoo-ling, income, marital status), health (number of reported diseases) and lifestyle (physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption). The prevalence of inadequate dietary fiber intake was 86.6%, being higher in men (RP=1.10), single or divorced (RP=1.09) and physically inactive (PR=1.07). Elderly adults with higher incomes and who reported having 1 to 2 chronic non-communicable diseases had a higher intake of fibers. The high prevalence of inadequate dietary fiber intake in the elderly adults indicates that health and nutrition actions should be developed to ensure adequate dietary intake of these compounds.