Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This research aimed to assess the dietary intake of older adults in a community in Khon Kaen Province and compare it with nutritional recommendations. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 100 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years and over in Mueang District, Khon Kaen Province. The sample size was determined using population proportion estimation. Data were collected through individual interviews using a semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (semi-FFQ) covering the previous week, and analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. The results showed that most participants were female (79.00%), with a mean age of 68.34 years (S.D. = 6.93). Just over half had completed primary education (53.00%). The majority were married (89.00%), and 56.18% lived with their spouse. Employment was reported by 71.00% of participants, most commonly in trading (40.58%). Income was reported by 96.00%, mostly ranging from 0–10,000 baht per month (56.00%), with a mean of 6,252.08 baht (S.D. = 5,789.24 baht). Regarding food consumption, the highest mean daily intake was from the rice and starch group (mean 8.41 servings, S.D. = 2.67), followed by protein from meat, eggs, milk, and legumes (approximately 5.54 servings in total), vegetables (mean 2.18 servings, S.D. = 1.25), and fruit (mean 0.89 servings, S.D. = 0.70). Combined vegetable and fruit intake was below the recommended minimum of 5 servings per day. White or polished rice was the most frequently consumed staple, while intake of meat, eggs, milk, and vegetables fell below nutritional recommendations, and fruit intake — particularly non-sweet fruits — was infrequent. Based on these findings, older adults should be encouraged to increase their intake of nutritious foods, such as brown rice, vegetables, and fruit, to improve their nutritional status and promote overall health.
Language: Thai
Subfield: Nutrition and Dietetics
Field: Nursing
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7220126554