Correlation between Personal Factors of Nutritional Awareness and Food Consumption of the Elderly in Chonburi Province, Thailand.

Abstract

Nowadays, populations worldwide are experiencing an increase in aging and age-related diseases. One way to address the health concerns of the elderly is by raising awareness about their nutrition and food consumption behavior. This approach is crucial in promoting the overall well-being of the elderly population. This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted over a 6-month period from January to June 2023. The main objective of the study was to examine the relationship between personal information, personal awareness of nutrition, and food consumption behavior among the elderly in Chonburi Province. A questionnaire was used with a reliability range of 0.77-0.81 and consisted of three parts, including personal information, nutrition awareness, and food consumption behavior. The study included a total of 406 participants aged 60 years and above. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way variance (One-Way ANOVA), and Pearson's correlation were used to analyze the collected data, with a level of confidence set at 95%. The study involved 406 elderly individuals aged between 60 and 81 years, with an average age of 72.40 years. Among them, 45.80% were males and 54.20% were females. The results indicated that education (p=0.00), family income (p=0.00) and living with family members (p<0.05) had a positive correlation with food consumption behavior. Additionally, emotional awareness, accurate self-assessment, and self-confidence showed a significant positive correlation with food consumption behavior (r = 0.20, 0.44, and 0.70, p = 0.00) among the elderly population. In conclusion, the personal factors; educational level, family income, and living status were positively correlated with food consumption behavior. The personal factors of nutritional awareness were significantly correlated with food consumption behavior in the elderly in Chonburi Province, Thailand.