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Risk factors for dietary variety decline among Japanese elderly in a rural community: a 8-year follow-up study from TMIG-LISA

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 60, pages 305–311 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To examine the factors related to the decline of dietary variety among the rural community-dwelling Japanese elderly people and the implication on the planning of elderly people's nutritional improvement program in the future.

Design:

A prospective cohort study during 8-year follow-up from 1992 to 2000.

Setting:

This study was conducted in Nangai Village, a rural and mainly agricultural area of Akita Prefecture in the northern part of Honshu, one of four main islands in Japan.

Subjects:

A total of 417 elderly people (160 men, 257 women) who completed interviews and food intake frequency surveys conducted in 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, and 2000 were studied.

Methods:

Dietary variety and variables potentially associated with dietary variety decline were identified from a face-to-face interview at the baseline and 8-year follow-up surveys. The dietary variety was measured using the dietary variety score (DVS), which covers the 10 main food groups in Japanese meals.

Results:

During the 8-year follow-up, 36.2% of the subjects showed a decline in dietary variety. Health characteristics also change among the 8-year follow-up and these changes have an effect on the decline of dietary variety. Significant predictors for decline in dietary variety included loss of spouse, deterioration in self-perceived chewing ability, and decrease in intellectual activity score.

Conclusions:

Loss of spouse, deterioration in chewing ability, and decline in intellectual activity may increase the risk of decline in dietary variety in community-dwelling Japanese elderly people.

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Acknowledgements

The present study was a part of a research project, the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Longitudinal Interdisciplinary Study on Aging (TMIG-LISA). The authors are grateful to the participants and municipal officers in Nangai Village as well as other staff members of TMIG-LISA for their cooperation with this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Epidemiology and Health Promotion, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan

    J Kwon & T Suzuki

  2. Department of Health and Nutrition, University of Human Arts and Sciences, Saitama, Japan

    S Kumagai

  3. Community Health Research Group, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan

    S Shinkai

  4. Department of Home Economics, Kokugakuin Tochigi Junior College, Tochigi, Japan

    H Yukawa

Authors
  1. J Kwon
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  2. T Suzuki
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  3. S Kumagai
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  4. S Shinkai
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  5. H Yukawa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J Kwon.

Additional information

Guarantor: J Kwon.

Contributors: JK was responsible for the design of this study, performed the data analysis and wrote the manuscript. TS, SK, SS and HY contributed to the design and conduct of the TMIG-LISA. TS and SK contributed to the data analysis, interpretation of the data, and writing of the manuscript.

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Kwon, J., Suzuki, T., Kumagai, S. et al. Risk factors for dietary variety decline among Japanese elderly in a rural community: a 8-year follow-up study from TMIG-LISA. Eur J Clin Nutr 60, 305–311 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602314

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