2021 Volume 71 Issue 3 Pages 136-146
In Japan, the number of super-elderly individuals is increasing every year. In this study, we investigated the association among dietary patterns, the nutritional status, and oral function, of super-elderly individuals living at home. The findings of this study will be useful in guiding the dietary habits and increasing the life expectancy of such individuals. Our study included 86 super-elderly individuals (aged 91 years) living at home. We used the brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire, Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), and Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10). Participants’ dietary patterns were determined from food group intake using principal component analysis, and the associations between dietary patterns and nutritional intake were confirmed using the analysis of variance test. Furthermore, we investigated the association between dietary patterns and food-related factors or MNA-SF or EAT-10. We identified four dietary patterns in this study. Comparison of the tertiles of each principal component score and nutritional intakes showed significant correlations between a “side dish” characterized by a high intake of meat, seaweeds, and vegetables, and a low intake of rice and bread. Notably, we found that a higher “side dish” score corresponded to a higher intake of nutrients, such as protein and vitamin D, and was strongly associated with a better nutritional status. Additionally, the rate of those at risk of dysphagia was significantly higher in the group judged to be malnourished or at risk of malnutrition, based on MNA-SF, than in the well-nourished group. Furthermore, it was suggested that the “side dish” pattern was related to the living style and number of people eating together.
