Faith Agbozo¹, Joyce Amardi-Mfoafo², Helen Dwase², Basma Ellahi³

1. Department of Family and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana.
2. Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra.
3. Faculty of Health and Social Care, University of Chester, Chester, CH1 4BJ, UK.

Abstract

Background: Older adults are vulnerable to malnutrition due to sociologic, physiologic and anatomical effects of ageing. Objective: To investigate the influence of nutrition knowledge and dietary patterns on nutritional status of community-dwelling ambulatory older adults.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey involved 120 elderly aged 60-70 years purposively selected from four peri-urban communities in Ga West municipality, Ghana. Nutrition knowledge was assessed using a structured questionnaire and dietary intakes obtained using a standardized food frequency questionnaire. BMI from weight/height measurements was proxy for nutritional status. Data was analyzed descriptively in SPSS. Associations were tested using correlation analyses (-1<r<+1).

Results: 28% had adequate knowledge on geriatric nutrition. Dietary patterns were mostly fair (40%) or poor (53%). Bloating (25%), constipation (18%), appetite loss (12%) and chewing difficulties (11%) affected intakes. Underweight was 10% while 21.7% were overweight or obese (16.6%). Positive insignificant corrections existed between knowledge and nutritional status (r=0.261) and with diet quality (r=0.415). However, strong significant (p=0.027) positive correlation (r=0.699) existed between diet quality and nutritional status.

Conclusion: Nutrition knowledge was adequate but dietary intake was poor and a quarter were malnourished. The associations reaffirm that supporting the elderly to make healthy dietary choices and ensuring household food security is crucial to preventing malnutrition.

Keywords: Dietary knowledge, food diversity, body mass index, elderly, geriatric nutrition.

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v18i3.33

Cite as: Agbozo F, Amardi-Mfoafo J, Dwase H, Ellahi B. Nutrition knowledge, dietary patterns and anthropometric indices of older persons in four peri-urban communities in Ga West municipality, Ghana. Afri Health Sci. 2018;18(3): 743-755. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v18i3.33