Fatores que afetam o consumo alimentar e a nutrição do idoso: uma revisão integrativa.

Abstract

In Brazil, the elderly are those whose age is equal to or greater than 60 years. Despite being a natural process, aging involves several changes that affect the health and nutrition of the elderly, such as changes in masticatory capacity, swallowing and decreased acuity of the sense organs. The present study aimed to identify the factors that interfere in the food consumption and the nutrition of the elderly. A literature review was used as a methodological tool, and articles published between the years 2008 to 2017 were included, later the amount of elderly in articles was counted for each factor of interest - masticatory capacity and dentition, dysphagia, reduction of gustatory sensitivity, psychosocial factors and use of drugs that alter gustatory sensitivity and then the percentage of change for that determined factor was calculated, as this was related to the changes in nutritional status. The reduced masticatory capacity was present in 55.33% of the elderly, 56.31% of the elderly had swallowing alteration, decreased gustatory sensitivity was present in 66.96% of the elderly, 58.75% of the elderly interviewed did not consider solitude as an impediment to food and due to the use of drugs 55.9%, presented alteration in the palate. Thus, we conclude that factors resulting from the aging process interfere with food intake and, consequently, the nutritional status of the elderly. It is important that the nutritional professional knows the factors related to the decrease of the food intake that can cause changes in their nutritional status in order to identify the nutritional risks of this population, as well as an individualized care with adequate food planning to meet their daily needs and their limitations.