Abstract
As the elderly population has increased in recent years in Korea chronic degenerative diseases prevalent in the aged have garnered attention in relation to food behavior. In general, dietary intakes of elderly Koreans were inadequate in quality as well as in quantity. Especially, intakes of Ca, vitamin A, and riboflavin along with total energy were insufficient. They tended to consume high carbohydrate and low fat energy rates which may be resulted from long standing vegetable-based flood patterns. Relationships between dietary intakes and indices of cardiovascular diseases revealed that blood pressures and serum lipids patterns tended to be poor in individuals having high abdominal fat accumulations which seemed to be related with dietary consumption of high carbohydrate and insufficient intake of many nutrients. These results suggested that a nutritionally balanced diet including animal sources floods is needed in order to prevent an abdominal obesity and cardiovascular diseases. The bone health status of the Korean elderly appeared poor. It was more serious in women recording a higher prevalence rate of osteopenia and osteoporosis than in men. There were strong associations between dietary factors and bone health status. Bone mineral density was found to be higher with higher intakes of protein energy rate, the total amount of feeds, and many nutrients including Ca and p, indicating that a good quality diet is essential in maintaining healthy bone status in later life. mental health condition of the elderly as measured by cognitive function and the degree of depression was also inadequate and had strong association with dietary consumption. The positive results were obtained in individuals having an adequate dict. Therefore, it could be summarized that the physical as well as mental health in elderly Koreans are highly related with their dietary patterns. Thus, the older adults need te consume nutritionally well balanced diet in sufficient amount, which contains various flood items including significant amounts of animal source floods in a daily diet in order to maintain healthy condition.
