Patterns of Dietary Change in Older Adults

Achterberg, Cheryl

Abstract

) Diets high in fat are correlated positively with the risk of a number of cancers, including breast, colon, pancreas and prostate. Cancer incidence increases with age, but good nutrition can enhance the quality of older individuals' remaining years by reversing the promotion of cancer cells. The ultimate goal of this project is to help older individuals reduce the percentage of total fat in their diet to 30% of energy or less. The proposed pilot study uses an integrated approach of several models and theories (such as grounded theory, theory of meaningful learning, social marketing models and stages of change model) in an effort to generate a more comprehensive theory describing the processes used for successful dietary change. Fifty in-depth case histories of older adults (age 60 to 85) will be examined retrospectively to determine the processes for dietary change. These older adults would be individuals who have successfully decreased their fat intake to recommended levels (30 percent of kcals or less), and maintained these positive changes for over five years. Participants will be asked to fill out two copies of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ): one describing present """"""""healthy"""""""" diet followed by a FFQ describing diet before initiation of healthful dietary changes. Participants will then undergo an in-person, in-depth and audio-taped interview where specific food changes (determined from both FFQs) will be placed on a time line. Reasons for initiating each food change will be provided. The participant's major life events placed on the time line at the beginning of the interview will be used as cues for recall and as anchoring dates for occurrence of each food change. The processes of change (i.e., sequence, timing, motivational factors) will be determined and quantified. These processes will then be compared to those already determined in a group of younger adults to identify similarities and/or differences between the age groups. These results can then be used to better segment audiences for dietary intervention to decrease cancer risk and to improve the effectiveness of the intervention strategies.