Análise do consumo alimentar em um grupo de idosos no interior paraibano.

Abstract

Historically, it was not common to find a society with a high rate of elderly people, due to the quality of life resulting from social issues, such as lack of access to basic sanitation, epidemics, food insecurity, and other adversities. However, the interdisciplinary advancement of studies about the human body

allows considerable advances in well-being, boosting longevity. Among the sciences that help the well- being of the elderly, nutrition is a fundamental cog for its success, since food is essential to mankind

and its attainment has become a public health problem. Thus, the overall objective of this study is to evaluate the food intake of the elderly and its relationship to their nutritional status in the municipality of Cuité, Paraíba. The methodology used in the study consists of applying a questionnaire of a qualitative and quantitative nature, to obtain and analyze food data, providing records including graphics, with the participation of twenty-nine elderly, with the instrument of data collection a record of 24 hours with the aid of photos to ensure the standardization of the amount consumed that sought to trace the nutritional profile of the institutionalized elderly participating in the group "The Joy of Living. The results show that most of the elderly are female, aged between 70 years and showing a consumption below the ideal of carbohydrates with average (43.69%) reducing the total energy value showing a value (65.39%), but with a considerable average consumption of protein (17.05%) and lipids (22.25%). The results point to the need to implement nutritional strategies for this population in order to achieve a more balanced and close to adequate consumption.