Comprehensive geriatric assessment of elderly highlanders in Qinghai, China IV: Comparison of food diversity and its relation to health of Han and Tibetan elderly
Aim: To examine the association between food diversity and health status of Han and Tibetan elderly highlanders in Qinghai Plateau, China. Methods: The study population consisted of 240 community‐dwelling elderly subjects aged 60 years or more (176 Han elderly subjects, 64 Tibetan ones). Food dive...
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Published in | Geriatrics & gerontology international Vol. 9; no. 4; pp. 359 - 365 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Melbourne, Australia
Blackwell Publishing Asia
01.12.2009
Blackwell Publishing Ltd |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Aim: To examine the association between food diversity and health status of Han and Tibetan elderly highlanders in Qinghai Plateau, China.
Methods: The study population consisted of 240 community‐dwelling elderly subjects aged 60 years or more (176 Han elderly subjects, 64 Tibetan ones). Food diversity was determined using an 11‐item Food Diversity Score Kyoto (FDSK‐11). Subjects were interviewed on health status including activities of daily living (ADL), screening‐based depression and quality of life (QOL). Blood chemical investigation was carried out in association with food diversity.
Results: ADL was significantly lower in both Han and Tibetan elderly with lower food diversity than those with higher diversity. In Han elderly with lower food diversity, QOL was significantly lower in the items of subjective sense of health, relationship with family and subjective happiness, but not significant in Tibetan elderly. A close association was found between lower food diversity and lower financial satisfaction in both Han and Tibetan subjects. No association was found between food diversity and age or body mass index. Higher food diversity was associated with lower blood glucose level in Han elderly subjects, but the opposite association was found in Tibetan ones.
Conclusion: Food diversity was associated with ADL and QOL in highlanders in Qinghai, China. Food assessment is very important as a useful indicator to establish the actual condition of diet and its relation to health status of community‐dwelling elderly as well as the change of economic background in the Qinghai highlands. |
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Bibliography: | istex:91164C43A376A263F2CC1901A02FC9C1F4424B99 ark:/67375/WNG-XXPVNFDM-7 ArticleID:GGI543 Author contribution K. M., K. O., R. S., Y. K. and all the Chinese authors conducted community‐based geriatric examinations in Haiyan, Qinghai, in 2008. All of the authors contributed to the interpretation of the data, helped with revisions of the manuscript, and read and approved the manuscript. K. M. supervised the progress of the study and approved the final manuscript. ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 1444-1586 1447-0594 |
DOI: | 10.1111/j.1447-0594.2009.00543.x |