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The present study aimed to assess nutritional status, dietary diversity and lifestyle risk factors associated with undernutrition in an institutionalised Sri Lankan elderly population.
Design
The study was of cross-sectional design followed by a stratified sampling method.
Setting
Twelve homes for the elderly recruited from six provinces in Sri Lanka.
Subjects
A total of 311 institutionalised elderly aged ≥60 years.
Results
The mean age of the study population was 75 (sd 8) years. Prevalence of undernutrition was 30 %. Mean food variety score, dietary diversity score and dietary serving score of the study population were 8·7 (sd 1·5), 7·3 (sd 1·2) and 10·9 (sd 2·0), respectively. Mean daily intakes of fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs and pulses and dairy portions were below the national recommendations, whereas the mean consumption of sugar exceeded the national recommendation. Only the mean intake of starch was within the recommendation. Food allergies (OR=8·0; 95 % CI 3·9, 16·2), skipping meals (OR=3·8; 95 % CI 2·0, 7·5) and lack of leisure activities (OR=3·1; 95 % CI 1·5, 6·7) significantly increased the risk of undernutrition, whereas the use of dentures decreased the risk (OR=0·20; 95 % CI 0·06, 0·69).
Conclusions
High prevalence of undernutrition and low dietary diversity were observed in an institutionalised elderly Sri Lankan population. Therefore, there is an urgent need to implement nutrition interventions as part of geriatric care to reduce undernutrition and improve the diets of the institutionalised elderly population in Sri Lanka.
To assess the impact of a new government-subsidized supermarket in a high-need area on household food availability and dietary habits in children.
Design
A difference-in-difference study design was utilized.
Setting
Two neighbourhoods in the Bronx, New York City. Outcomes were collected in Morrisania, the target community where the new supermarket was opened, and Highbridge, the comparison community.
Subjects
Parents/caregivers of a child aged 3–10 years residing in Morrisania or Highbridge. Participants were recruited via street intercept at baseline (pre-supermarket opening) and at two follow-up periods (five weeks and one year post-supermarket opening).
Results
Analysis is based on 2172 street-intercept surveys and 363 dietary recalls from a sample of predominantly low-income minorities. While there were small, inconsistent changes over the time periods, there were no appreciable differences in availability of healthful or unhealthful foods at home, or in children’s dietary intake as a result of the supermarket.
Conclusions
The introduction of a government-subsidized supermarket into an underserved neighbourhood in the Bronx did not result in significant changes in household food availability or children’s dietary intake. Given the lack of healthful food options in underserved neighbourhoods and need for programmes that promote access, further research is needed to determine whether healthy food retail expansion, alone or with other strategies, can improve food choices of children and their families.
