Journal of Nutrition in Gerontology and Geriatrics

Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and food banks provide nutritious food for in-need older adults. The objective of this study was to identify successes, challenges, and opportunities associated with meeting the food needs of older adults. We used semi-structured telephone interviews with AAA nutrition staff ( n  = 5), food bank program coordinators ( n  = 5) and executives ( n  = 6), and older adults ( n  = 60) in Iowa. AAAs and food banks identified providing healthy food and client satisfaction as successes and funding and staff/volunteer capacity as challenges...

This four-month study evaluated the virtual delivery of Fresh Conversations ( FC ). Participants were community-residing Iowans ages 60+ years. They were placed in one of four meeting groups based on location and participant preference: Zoom™, Adobe Connect® , group-based Zoom™ meeting, and teleconference. Participants were invited to complete a post-meeting online survey. Data analyses were completed using data from the first survey completed by each participant ( n  = 115). Descriptive statistics assessed response frequencies for all questions...

The objective of this study was to measure direct and indirect relationships between food insecurity (FI), protein intake, social relationships, depressive symptoms, and their impact on hospitalization among home-delivered meal (HDM) recipients, compared to controls, using structural equation modeling. The analysis used data from the National Outcomes Evaluation Study (2015-2017) of the OAANSP. HDM recipients' mean usual protein intake was significantly higher than controls, but both groups had mean intakes below recommendations...

Food insecurity (FI) is a growing health problem, worsening during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fresh food prescription programs (FFRx) have been shown to increase healthy eating and decrease FI, but few FFRx are community-informed, or theory based. Our FFRx was a delivery program developed to alleviate FI for older adults. It was implemented in an academic medical center and guided by the Capabilities, Opportunities, Motivations, and Behaviors and Theoretical Domains Framework. We tested impacts of the program on FI, Fruit and Vegetable (FV) intake, depression, and loneliness at six-month intervals...

Overweight and obesity increase the risk of development and progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA), with higher levels of fat mass and lower levels of lean mass associated with poorer functional status. The aim was to assess changes in weight, body composition and physical function following weight loss or weight maintenance interventions in knee OA. A comprehensive search of four databases was conducted. The risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Criteria Checklist for primary research. Primary outcomes included weight, body composition and physical function; secondary outcomes were lipids, inflammatory biomarkers and muscle strength...

Essential amino acids (EAAs) initiate amino acid-induced stimulation of muscle protein synthesis. Study objectives were to calculate intake of EAAs after creating an EAA database, to explore the association of EAAs and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) with handgrip strength (HS) in a younger (<50 y) and older (≥50 y) sample, and to identify major food groups contributing EAAs. The sample consisted of African American and White adults aged, 33-71 years from the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study, 2009-2013...

It is unclear which energy expenditure prediction equation should guide weight loss interventions in older adults with obesity. We ascertained the validity of four equations commonly used in practice in a series of weight loss studies of adults aged ≥65 with a body mass index ≥30kg/m2 using indirect calorimetry data. Diagnostic accuracy was defined as <10% discrepancy between predicted and measured resting metabolic rate (RMR). Mean was 73.4 years. RMR using the ReeVue was 1,643 kCal. With 59.0% accuracy, the WHO equation demonstrated the highest accuracy while the Harris-Benedict yielded 53...

Food insecurity is a growing problem among seniors. A novel program was established to help mitigate the problem of food insecurity among seniors who are homebound. Volunteers recover unused prepared food donated by area hospitals, repack it into healthy meals which are delivered to program participants. To evaluate the impact of our intervention, seniors' nutritional health and social well-being were measured at enrollment and after three to five months using the following: Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF), 24-hour recall, USDA 6-Item Food Security Survey, WHO-5 Well-Being Index, and the 3-Item Loneliness Scale...

Limited research exists regarding the diet quality and nutritional concerns of people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD) and their informal caregivers. The study's purpose was to assess diet quality via the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) and self-reported nutrition concerns via semi-structured, dyadic interviews of 20 PwPD (69.7 ± 9.2 yrs) and their caregivers (66.7 ± 13.0 yrs). HEI-2015 scores were 58.3 ± 12.4 and 58.1 ± 10.6 for PwPD and caregivers, respectively. Reported dietary concerns related to PD included: change in appetite or amount eaten, gastrointestinal issues, food-medication management, chewing/swallowing issues, and change in taste/smell...

We investigated cross-sectional relationships between the Mediterranean diet and overall fatigue, energy, and weariness scores among 4,563 women aged 65+ from the Women's Health Initiative study. We also used the Isocaloric Substitution approach to explore whether the substitution of fish for red and processed meat, whole for non-whole grains, and whole fruit for fruit juice relate to RAND-36 measured overall fatigue and its subdomains. The alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMED) Index quintiles (Q1-Q5) and selected Mediterranean foods available on a Food Frequency Questionnaire were exposure measures...

The present study aimed to determine if providing sensory-enhanced, fortified snacks changed nutrient consumption among nursing home residents. Nursing home residents were provided typical facility snacks or sensory-enhanced, fortified snacks across two separate 8-week time blocks. The enhanced snack supplements included quick-dissolving (transitional-state) crisps, puree dips, and dry soup blends that are intended to be accessible for individuals with a wide range of masticatory and swallowing abilities (e...

Older adults have low whole grain (WG) intake. This qualitative study used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to identify low-income older adults' WG beliefs. A convenience sample of 25 low-income adults 60 years and older were interviewed using questions developed based on TPB constructs: behavioral, normative, and control beliefs. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, cross-checked for consistency, and analyzed using content analysis. Study results revealed that regarding behavioral beliefs, health benefits, taste, and nutrition were WG advantages and sensory qualities, higher cost, and longer cooking time were disadvantages...

Difficulties of managing cutlery, manipulating food on the plate and transporting food to the mouth may negatively influence the ability for self-provision and nutritional status among older adults with motoric eating difficulties. The purpose was to explore perceptions and attitudes about eating with the fingers among older adults with motoric eating difficulties, and relatives and professional caregivers of older adults with motoric eating difficulties. Qualitative data was collected through individual interviews with older adults >65 years ( N  = 14) with motoric eating difficulties and focus groups with relatives ( N  = 15) and professional caregivers ( N  = 15)...

Excessive sodium consumption is a public health issue and congregate meal programs provide a unique opportunity to reduce sodium served to a large, at-risk population. A Sodium Reduction Initiative (SRI) was implemented in a congregate meal program that serves over 3,000 older adults. Nutrient analyses conducted at baseline and post-intervention were used to calculate average sodium reduction and the number of low sodium foods; targeted foods were categorized by strategy. Customer satisfaction surveys were collected at baseline and 3- and 6-months post-intervention...

Food insecurity has been undermining the health and well-being of a growing number of older adults in Sub-Saharan Africa. This review aimed to examine the prevalence of food insecurity and the related contributing factors of food insecurity among older adults in Sub-Saharan Africa. We used PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science Core Collection as our search engines and included 22 articles for data extraction. Prevalence of severe and moderate food insecurity in households with older adults ranged from 6...

AtlantiCare Health System provides health care services to residents in Atlantic City, an urban food desert in southern New Jersey. The purpose of this study is to explore baseline data on the first four months of the program to better understand participants purchasing behaviors. To improve the health of Atlantic City seniors, AltantiCare established a Virtual Grocery Store Program (VGSP). The program covers fees associated with online grocery shopping for 300 residents in Jeffries Towers, a low-income housing complex...

Lycopene exhibits neuroprotective properties due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory functionality. As watermelon is a rich source of lycopene, pasteurized watermelon juice provides lycopene in its most bioavailable form. This study examined relationships between circulating lycopene, cognitive performance, and biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammation in response to pasteurized 100% watermelon juice supplementation. A placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, crossover trial was conducted with postmenopausal women ( n  = 16, 60 + 4...

BACKGROUND: Understanding factors influencing centenarians' nutritional status can offer insight into effective nutrition interventions to improve quality of life among this population. OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the role of social support and loneliness on nutritional status among Oklahoma centenarians ( N  = 151). METHODS: Nutritional status was assessed with the Short Form Mini Nutrition Assessment (MNA-SF)...

Using a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology, we describe our first cycle of a project using an ice-cream oral nutritional supplement (ONS ice-cream) to address malnutrition in older patients. A Scandishake-based® (Nutricia) vanilla flavored ice-cream was developed and piloted on a cohort of orthopedic patients over 3 days. All suitable patients were offered 100 g ice-cream portions (240 kcal/per portion). Acceptability and energy intake were our primary outcomes. Over 3 days, the ONS ice-cream was accepted in 77% ( n  = 27, median age, 75 years, IQR 12...

We explored effects on cognitive function of following plant-based vegetarian compared with non-vegetarian dietary patterns in otherwise healthy older community-dwelling members of the Adventist Health Study-2 cohort ( n  = 132). Cognition was assessed using a comprehensive neuropsychological battery; a principal components analysis derived processing speed, executive function, and memory/language factors. Mild memory impairment (MMI) ( n  = 26, 19.7%) was identified by memory tests. Vegetarians consumed (a) meats, fish, and dairy <1 time/month, (b) dairy ≥1 time/month and meats, and fish <1 time/month, or (c) fish ≥1 time/month, no limits on dairy, and meats <1 time/month...