DIETARY-INTAKE IN THE ELDERLY ESTIMATED BY A 24-HOUR RECALL AND A FOOD FREQUENCY QUESTIONNAIRE

Two hundred and thirty-five tenants living in sheltered housing in Sco tland were surveyed to identify the extent of under-nutrition and the social factors which contribute to its development. A validated 24 h r ecall and the nutrient checklist published by NAGE were used to evalua te patterns of dietary intake, A questionnaire was developed which inc luded scales designed to measure depression, social engagement, cognit ive function, mobility and functional ability. The results show consid erable evidence of a number of major nutrients in which there were low intakes. In order to express the extent of poor nutrition, a nutrient score was developed where points are awarded based on the number of n utrients falling below the Lower Reference Nutrient Intake, the Estima ted Average Requirement or below half the daily Estimated Average Requ irement.