The purpose of this quasi-experimental design study was to assess the effect of educational intervention on nutrition knowledge and dietary behavior of community elderly. Data was from the “Successful Aging of the Elderly in Taiwan ?: Intervention and Evaluation” 2005. We implemented the educational intervention program and collected the data of the participants for the elderly aged 65 or above in Miaoli County communities. Miaoli City East District, Gongguan and Tongsiao Townships were the experimental communities, and Miaoli City West District, Jhuolan and Houlong Townships were the controlled
communities. All the samples in experimental communities were invited to participate the intervention program. The contents of intervention program included six categories of food, food choice, nutrients of food, etc. Totally 90 persons participated the intervention programs, but only 45 of them were on the invitation list. And then we collected the data by a face-to-face survey for all the samples in our research area after 12 weeks. There were 41 experimental-group participants and 425 controlled-group participants completed the survey. Linear regression and logistic regression model were used for analyze the effect of intervention to nutrition knowledge and dietary behaviors by controlling the predisposing factors, enabling factors, and reinforcing factors.
The main findings of this study included:
1. The score of nutrition knowledge ranged 0-18, and the average score of community elderly were 12.2.
The percentages of daily intake of six category of food were: 45.5% for milk products, 88.2% for grain products, 84.1% for the meat/eggs/fish/beans, 89.9% for vegetables, 55.4% for fruits, and 66.5% for oils.
2. After nutrition educational intervening, the score of nutrition knowledge on the experimental group was higher than the controlled group slightly but without significant difference. Daily oil intake rate of the controlled group was lower than the experimental group on the six categories of food and had significant difference.
3. By the multiple regression analysis, the result showed that elderly from Mainland provinces, higher education, without IADL disability, without gastrointestinal problem, having teeth disease, more likely to pay attention to nutrition information, eating less due to illness, eating with someone else, and higher self- efficacy, had higher score of nutrition knowledge.
4. By the logistic regression, male, older, illiterate, unable to choose food, and low self- efficacy elderly had more problems on the intake of six categories of food. Ethnic group, inhabitancy, ADLs disability, disease condition and participation of the intervention had no significant effect on the six categories of food.
Although the intervention program did not show significant effects on nutrition knowledge and dietary behavior, there is insufficiency of the six categories of food for the community elderly in Miaoli. We suggest that the future intervention program for elderly diet or nutrition should aim at the main health problems to design the intervention program to increase their interest for participation.
