Investigation On The Dietary Behavior Factors Of Successful Aging Of Among The Elderly In Bengbu

Objective To investigate the dietary behavior and successful aging among the elderly in the urban and rural areas of Bengbu,and to explore the dietary behavior relevant to the successful aging,providing a reference for diet intervention to promote successful aging.Methods The participants aged 65 and over were selected by stratified multi-stage randomization from Bengbu.A questionnaire survey was conducted on the elderly with a self-designed questionnaire.The data about general information,dietary behavior,and successful aging were collected by trained investigators.Group differences in continuous variables were detected by t test,groups differences in categorical variables were detected by chi-square test,and influencing factors were analyzed by logistic regression models.Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 23.0.Results(1)In the present study,the successful aging rate of the elderly in Bengbu was 30.2%,of which the urban area was significantly higher than the rural area(44.4% vs 17.0%,P <0.01).The rates of successful aging for “no major disease” and “higher cognitive function” among the elderly were low,44.2% and 63.9%,respectively.The rates of successful aging for “no major disease”,“no disability”,“higher cognitive function”,and “higher physical function” among urban elderly were significantly higher than those in the village(P <0.01).(2)From adolescence,middle age to old age,the number of people who did not eat fruits,fish and eggs,beans and soy products,and milk and dairy products continued to decline,P <0.01.In the three life stages,the frequency of intake in fruits,fish and eggs,beans and soy products,milk and dairy products was higher in urban elderly than in rural elderly,and the frequency of vegetables intake was lower than that in rural elderly(P <0.05).(3)After adjusting for variables,less than three meals per day was associated with an increased risk of successful aging;preference for spicy,sweet,daily fruit and milk were associated with protective effects on successful aging.In middle age,fruit intake of more than 3 days per week,and fruit intake from 1 to 6 days per week were associated with protective effects on successful aging.In adolescence,fruit intake of more than 1 day per week,fish and poultry eggs,beans and soy products every day,and milk and dairy products less than 2 days per week were associated with the protective effects on successful aging.(4)6.0% of the respondents who had ?3 meals per day in youth changed to <3 meals per day in old age.More than 10% of the participants preferred spicy or sweet food in their youth,but did not like spicy or sweet food in their old age.And more than 10% of the respondents did not eat fish,eggs in their youth while consumed these foods in their old age.More than 30% of the respondents did not eat fruit or milk in their youth while ate those in their old age.(5)5.2% of the respondents who had ?3 meals per day in youth experienced <3 meals per day in old age.17.0% of the respondents did not eat fruit in their middle age while ate fruit in their old age.21.8% of the respondents did not eat milk and dairy products in their middle age while ate milk and dairy products in their old age.(6)The higher number of urban elderly had ?3 meals per day,eat regularly,eat fruits,ate fish and eggs,ate beans and soy products,ate milk and dairy products than that of rural elderly(P <0.01)in youth and old age,middle age and old age.And the higher number of urban elderly preferred sweets in their middle age,but did not like sweets in their old age(P <0.05).(7)After adjusting for variables,the participants who had ?3 meals per day in middle-aged or adolescents while < 3 meals per day in old age,preferred to eat sweets in youth while did not like to eat sweets in old age had lower prevalence of successful aging.The participants who ate milk in middle age or youth and still ate milk in old age,maintained fruit intake from youth to old age,liked spicy and sweet foods were more likely to achieve successful aging.The elderly who had less than 3 meals a day in middle age and the transition to above 3 meals per day in old age were closely related to successful aging.Conclusion There were urban and rural differences in the successful aging and the dietary behaviors in Bengbu.Dietary behavior factors were closely related to successful aging.Diet behaviors in the middle or youth period could influence the successful aging in the elderly.