Avaliação da eficácia de uma intervenção educacional na redução da neofobia alimentar em idosos

Abstract

Food neophobia, the resistance to try new food and/or different food from the one considered "normal", has the obvious disadvantage of decreasing food selection and, therefore, the appropriate nutritional intake. The studies aiming to understand and attempting to overcome food neophobia have been almost exclusively directed to the child population. However, it is known that the elderly population also shows characteristically neophobic attitudes. Recent studies indicate that an increased selectivity in food choice may be associated with a worsening of the nutritional status of this population, compromising the quality and quantity of food intake. It is believed that a reduction in neophobic behavior in the elderly can significantly contribute to the improvement of their nutritional status and quality of life. In this paper, we propose and evaluate the effectiveness of a nutritional education intervention protocol in institutionalized elderly with the necessary psycho-motor skills. It is composed by four components: lectures, workshops, games and gatherings. The effectiveness evaluation of the performed intervention was measured by comparing the amount of eaten food before and after the intervention, with reference to three dishes which the elderly population to whom the protocol was applied showed typically to be reluctant to eat: Sea Rice; Tuna Pasta, Egg and Parsley and Spaghetti with Minced Beef and Bolognese Sauce. It was concluded that there was a statistically significant increase in the amount ingested of Sea Rice, as well as in the number of elderly people who ate entirely the Sea Rice and Spaghetti with Minced Beef and Bolognese Sauce dishes. On the other hand, it was concluded, by applying two qualitative questionnaires, that both seniors and professionals considered the intervention effective, most seniors and caregivers having noted differences in eating behavior.

Date of Award	6 Oct 2016
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Elisabete Pinto (Supervisor)