Longitudinal changes in dietary habits and attitudes of elderly Europeans. SENECA Investigators.

OBJECTIVE

Assess longitudinal changes in dietary habits and attitudes of elderly Europeans in relation to selected socio-economic factors.

DESIGN

Longitudinal survey with a baseline measurement in 1988/1989 and a follow-up measurement in 1993, using a standardized questionnaire.

SUBJECTS

Elderly men and women born between 1913 and 1918.

SETTING

The second SENECA survey in 1993 assessed the dietary intake and the nutritional status of 676 men and 759 women aged 74-79 years in 13 small towns. In 9 of these towns, 571 men and 603 women had already been surveyed during the baseline study in 1988/1989.

RESULTS

An increased regularity of food intake, as assessed by the consumption of daily cooked meals, was shown for this group of successfully aging elderly subjects. In three towns, Haguenau/F, Betanzos/E and Vila Franca de Xira/P, a disproportionate increase in subjects never shopping, not shopping daily and not consuming home-produced foods was observed. This suggests a higher than average loss in activity in these towns. Differences in food budget problems, in including or avoiding foods for health reasons or in following special diets could not be evaluated because of methodological problems. It had to be assumed that, for psychological reasons, subjects responded differently or interviewers questioned the subjects in different ways in the two surveys. In 1993, meal patterns were for the first time assessed quantitatively. Highly significant differences between northern (Culemborg/NL, Roskilde/DK, Ballymoney-Limavady-Portstewart/NI/UK) and more southern towns could be shown with regard to the structure of all three main daily meals and also to the distribution of energy intake during the day and to the time spent for meal preparation and eating.

CONCLUSION

The possibility that differences in meal patterns might affect physiological functions requires the regular inclusion of this kind of data in all dietary surveys and the elaboration of the respective standardized methods.