A Comparison of Nutritional Habits, Physical Function and Psychological Constructs between Urban and Rural Costa Rican Older Adults

Abstract

Purpose: To compare nutritional habits, physical function and psychological constructs between Costa Rican older adults from urban and rural zones.Methods: Male and female older adults aged ? 65 yr. from urban (n = 185) and rural (n = 109) Costa Rica were assessed on nutritional habits, physical function measures, and cognitive function by a face-to-face interview.Results: Rural older adults consumed more daily carbohydrates, protein, and energy at breakfast and lunch (p < 0.05 for all), and more carbohydrates (p ? 0.001), fat (p = 0.002), protein (p ? 0.001), and energy (p ? 0.001) at dinner than urban elderly. Aerobic power (p = 0.044) was higher in urban compared to rural elderly. A correlation was found between aerobic power and global fatigue (r = -0.20, p = 0.014) in urban elderly. Lifetime cognitive activity correlated to total energy (r = 0.37, p = 0.003), carbohydrate (r = 0.37, p = 0.002), and protein (r = 0.34, p = 0.005) consumption in rural elderly. Higher depression scores (p = 0.048), and lower lifetime cognitive activity were observed in urban compared to rural elderly (p = 0.004).Conclusion: The health profile is positive for either group depending on the variable analyzed, except for a higher aerobic power, which provides benefits to the entire cohort.

Prevalence of malnutrition and associated factors among older adults from urban and rural residences of Metu district, Southwest Ethiopia

“…Poor nutritional status was prevalent among older adults in both rural and urban settings [ 8 ]. In older adults, malnutrition is caused by one or more of the following factors; inadequate food intake, food choices, increased nutrient loss, poor nutrient absorption, loss of appetite, lack of ability to chew and swallow, and increased use of prescription medications [ 9 – 13 ].…”