Elderly Health Journal

Introduction: Food habits play important roles in maintaining physical and mental health and preventing chronic illnesses in the elderly. The aim of the present study was to investigate dietary behaviors of elderly people residing in Yazd city which is located in central Iran.

Methods: The present analysis was conducted on 1684 participants entered to Yazd Health Study aged over 60 years during 2014-2015. Demographic characteristics, health status, physical activity, economic status, education and dietary behaviors were collected by using a validated questionnaire.

Results: Our analysis revealed that only 1.2% of the elderly consumed more than two servings of dairy per day. Furthermore only 3 and 9.8 percent of elders consumed more than three servings/day of vegetables and fruits, respectively. The study also showed that 22.9% ate more than five servings of sugar per day, 22.5% took more than four units of legumes weekly, 56.1% ate two to three servings of poultry per week, 77% reported eating fast foods for at least once a week, 47.8% consumed canned foods less than once a week of and 86.3% reported taking breakfast for at least five times a week. For cooking 18.9% of elderly still use hydrogenated vegetable oils, 52.8% of the elderly did not separate visible fats from red meat before cooking, 65.8% chose high-fat dairy and 24% of older people reported using frying and grilling as their primary cooking method. Our findings also suggest that dietary behavior is different between elder men and women.

Conclusion: Unhealthy dietary habits, including low vegetables, fruits and dairy products intake, are highly prevalent among elderly people residing in Yazd. Community based interventions targeting this age group, in order to improve their dietary intake, are highly recommended.

Introduction: Old people appear to be most prone to loneliness and depression perhaps because of decrease in their ability in daily livings, increase in morbidity, loss of close ties caused by loss of friends and spouses. This study was conducted for investigation of the loneliness and its related factors in elderly people in Yazd.

Methods: In this cross sectional study, 200 old people (over 60 years old) from three zone; health centers, nursing home and retirement center by convenient sampling method. Data was collected by UCLA Loneliness Scale that was consisting of 20 items for loneliness measurement. Scores 41 and more defined as loneliness. Collected data was analyzed by proper statistical tests with SPSS software.

Results: Results showed that 71 % of subjects had Not Feel Lonely, 24 % moderate and 5 % severe felling of loneliness. Factors such as level of education, marital status, numbers of daughter and sons, previous job, residence site, current job status, living in nursing home, insufficient income, place of praying, sleep quantity and quality of sleep and feeling of healthy were associated with  loneliness status (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Our findings showed loneliness is common in elderly that support needs for more investigations and attention to loneliness related factors, educational courses conduction for family to take care of their elders, preparing of recreational measures and social support groups to decrease the loneliness in old people and so they spend this period by good and healthy sensation.