Influence of Nutritional Education on the Diet and Nutritional Behaviors of Elderly Women at the University of the Third Age

Małgorzata Magdalena Michalczyk, Izabela Zajac-Gawlak, Adam Zając, Jana Pelclová, Robert Roczniok and Józef Langfort
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Małgorzata Magdalena Michalczyk: Institute of Sport Science, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Mikolowska 72a, 40-065 Katowice, Poland
Izabela Zajac-Gawlak: Institute of Sport Science, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Mikolowska 72a, 40-065 Katowice, Poland
Adam Zając: Institute of Sport Science, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Mikolowska 72a, 40-065 Katowice, Poland
Jana Pelclová: Faculty of Physical Culture, Palacký University Olomouc, Tr.Míru 115, 77 111 Olomouc, Czech Republic
Robert Roczniok: Institute of Sport Science, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Mikolowska 72a, 40-065 Katowice, Poland
Józef Langfort: Institute of Sport Science, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Mikolowska 72a, 40-065 Katowice, Poland

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the diet composition, body fat content, and physical activity (PA), considering blood lipid levels and insulin resistance markers, in elderly women who were well educated in nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices. Methods: A total of 106 postmenopausal women took part in the study. The study group included 62 students from the University of the Third Age (U3A); the control group (CG) included 44 females from the Silesia region. We evaluated their daily macro and micronutrient intake, levels of PA, percent of body fat (PBF), and the visceral fatty area (VFA). We also evaluated the lipid profile, insulin and glucose levels, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA- IR ), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Results: Significant differences were observed in carbohydrate, protein, fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals consumption between the U3A group and the CG. There were no differences in the PBF and VFA between the groups. Furthermore, no differences were shown in the measured blood variables. The U3A group walked more than 11,000 steps a day and performed 46.15 min/day of PA with a moderate intensity of 3–6 metabolic equivalents of task (METs, min/week). Conclusions: Despite the fact that the U3A group were physically active females, well educated on healthy, balanced diets and had the motivation to learn about proper nutritional behaviors, they did not follow these recommendations in everyday life.

Keywords: elderly; diet; VFA; physical activity; healthy lifestyle (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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