Factors influencing the dietary fibre consumption of older people living independently and the impact of dietary fibre intake on health in this population

Abstract

Introduction: With the rising number of older people worldwide, the ageing population is becoming a public health concern because of its increased risk of presenting with ageing-related diseases. In the UK, the number of older people (65 years or above) is approximately 12 million (Age UK, 2019) and it is projected that by 2050, there will be approximately 2 billion people over 60 years of age worldwide (Chatterji et al., 2015). Therefore, it is important to ensure that the nutrition requirements, particularly dietary fibre consumption for older people, is checked regularly to maintain and improve the quality of their health.

Aim: This project investigated factors influencing dietary fibre consumption and the impact on the health status of older people (aged 65 and over) living independently in Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire in the UK.

Methods: Questionnaires and urinary analysis were used to determine the factors that may affect dietary fibre consumption in older people. A convenience sample, comprising nine older people, was recruited for the questionnaires and urinary analysis, however due to time constraints, only seven completed the urinary analysis.

Results: Most participants had a low dietary fibre intake (mean ± SD = 26.22 ± 8.27) in comparison to 30 gram per day as recommended by the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS). The findings indicated that there was a positive relationship between economic factors and dietary fibre consumption (p = 0.040), whereas there were no significant differences with the dietary fibre: age (p = 0.120), retired age (p = .756), BMI (p = 0.74), living with other (p = 0.43), education level (p = 0.49), income (p = 0.39), physical factors (p = 0.79), psychological factors (p = 0.47), good appetite (p = 0.57), biological factors (p = 0.59), social factors (p = 0.33), health outcomes (p = 0.27) and iodine level in urinary (p = 0.754).

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that economic factors may affect dietary fibre consumption among older people. Awareness of these dietary fibre guidelines must be increased, particularly in older people who are at high risk of developing age-related diseases to enhance their health status.