Abstract
Objective:
To examine associations between energy/nutrient intakes and frailty in older migrant women, and to explore perceptions of body weight, dietary intake, and physical function.
Design:
Cross-sectional, mixed-methods study.
Setting:
Birmingham, United Kingdom.ParticipantsSeventy-six first-generation migrant women ≥ 60 years of age.
Main Outcome Measures
Energy/nutrient intakes (assessed by 24-hour dietary recall), frailty (using the frailty phenotype), and links between perceptions of body weight, dietary intake, and physical function (via semi-structured interviews).AnalysisBivariate and logistic regression analyses examined associations between frailty and low energy/nutrient intakes. Interviews were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.
Results:
Seventy-six women completed a 24-hour dietary recall; 46 participated in a semi-structured interview. Low energy intake was associated with frailty (odds ratio [OR], 11.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.36–57.97). After adjusting for energy and other confounders, a low intake of > 3 nutrients was associated with frailty (OR, 6.58; 95% CI, 1.01–43.08). Qualitative data suggest that dietary intake was influenced by concerns about body weight and perceptions that unhealthy foods reduce mobility.
Conclusions and Implications:
Among older migrant women with high prevalence of overweight/obesity, an inadequate dietary intake may be a stronger predictor of frailty than weight loss. Dietary interventions should focus on healthy weight maintenance and optimization of nutritional adequacy and physical function.
To examine associations between energy/nutrient intakes and frailty in older migrant women, and to explore perceptions of body weight, dietary intake, and physical function.
Design:
Cross-sectional, mixed-methods study.
Setting:
Birmingham, United Kingdom.ParticipantsSeventy-six first-generation migrant women ≥ 60 years of age.
Main Outcome Measures
Energy/nutrient intakes (assessed by 24-hour dietary recall), frailty (using the frailty phenotype), and links between perceptions of body weight, dietary intake, and physical function (via semi-structured interviews).AnalysisBivariate and logistic regression analyses examined associations between frailty and low energy/nutrient intakes. Interviews were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.
Results:
Seventy-six women completed a 24-hour dietary recall; 46 participated in a semi-structured interview. Low energy intake was associated with frailty (odds ratio [OR], 11.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.36–57.97). After adjusting for energy and other confounders, a low intake of > 3 nutrients was associated with frailty (OR, 6.58; 95% CI, 1.01–43.08). Qualitative data suggest that dietary intake was influenced by concerns about body weight and perceptions that unhealthy foods reduce mobility.
Conclusions and Implications:
Among older migrant women with high prevalence of overweight/obesity, an inadequate dietary intake may be a stronger predictor of frailty than weight loss. Dietary interventions should focus on healthy weight maintenance and optimization of nutritional adequacy and physical function.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 3-10.e1 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | 6 Oct 2016 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2017 |
Keywords
- frailty
- nutrient inadequacy
- overweight/obesity
- older women
- ethnically diverse
- physical function
- body image
Access to Document
- Full-text PDF (accepted author manuscript)
This is the accepted author manuscript (AAM). The final published version (version of record) is available online via Elsevier at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2016.08.006. Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.