Efeitos da educação alimentar e nutricional sobre o comportamento alimentar e a qualidade da dieta de indivíduos idosos: um ensaio clínico aberto

Abstract

Introduction: A healthy aging depends on good eating habits, especially the proper consumption of fruits and vegetables. There is a distancing between the food habits adopted by the aged population and food recommendations for health promotion. Food and Nutrition Education is a fundamental tool to promote healthy eating. And for the success of educational actions in nutrition, we suggest the application of appropriate educational techniques for effective changes in feeding behavior. In this sense, the Transtheoric Model stands out. Objective: To investigate the effects of a Food and Nutrition Education intervention based on the Transtheoric Model, evaluating differences in diet quality, feeding behavior and nutritional and sociodemographic profile, which determine the adequacy or otherwise of the consumption of fruits and vegetables among elderly individuals. Methods: This is an open clinical trial with a simple random sample of elderly patients from a database of patients attended at a Basic Health Unit of the Federal District, Brazil. The quality of the diet was evaluated through three 24-hour Pre and Post Food Recalls and the Revised Diet Quality Index. Feeding behavior was verified through the four components of the Transtheoric Model for the consumption of fruits and vegetables (stages of change, strategies of change, decisional balance and self-efficacy). Results: 91 elderly subjects were interviewed. For the intervention were selected elderly classified in the pre-action stages of feedingd behavior. At the baseline, the majority (76.9%) were in the pre-action stages for behavior change. In the comparison between the pre-action and action groups, there were significant differences in relation to the portions of fruits and vegetables consumed, the Revised Diet Quality Index score, the change strategies score and the self-efficacy score. After intervention, for the pre-action group, there was a statistically significant improvement in the quality of diet and food behavior for the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Conclusion: Elderly people who adopt healthier eating habits, especially related to the consumption of fruits and vegetables, have behaviors different from those with lower quality of diet. It is suggested that actions that intend to improve the alimentary habit also act on the feeding behavior in order to optimize the practical reach of what is intended in theory. Since the changes in the eating habits of the elderly are difficult, it is considered that the intervention of this research, based on the Transtheoric Model, is an effective possibility of educational action in nutrition.