DIETARY INTAKES OF ENERGY AND WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMINS IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF AGING

The dietary intakes of energy and the vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, B6 , and C were assessed in four groups of elderly people, using the same modified dietary history method. The groups consisted of female nursi ng home residents (n = 40), people at admission to a nursing home (n = 21), free-living elderly people with a sedentary life style (n = 120) , and physically active free-living elderly people (n = 66). Mean ener gy intake varied from 6.5 +/- 1.2 Megajoule (MJ)/day (nursing home res idents) to 8.8 +/- 2.2 MJ/day (physically very active persons) in fema les and from 8.8 +/- 2.5 MJ/day day (admission to nursing home) to 10. 1 +/- 2.3 MJ/day (physically very active persons) in males. Dietary in takes of the selected vitamins were below the minimum requirements in almost half of the nursing home residents. However, the relative contr ibution of the various food groups to the dietary intake of these vita mins was similar in the four groups of elderly people. Stimulation of physical activity to increase energy requirements and use of foods wit h a high nutrient density may result in an improvement of dietary adeq uacy.