Association between Preferences of Salty Food and Acuity and Preferences of Taste of the Elderly People Living in Rural Area

Article information

Korean J Community Nutr. 2013;18(3):223-232

Publication date (electronic) : 2013 June 30

doi : https://doi.org/10.5720/kjcn.2013.18.3.223

Department of Food and Nutrition, Hannam University, Daejeon, Korea.

Corresponding author: Mee Sook Lee, Department of Food and Nutrition, Hannam University, #461-6 Jeonmin-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-811, Korea. Tel: (042) 629-8794, Fax: (042) 629-8789, meesook@hnu.kr

Received 2013 March 28; Revised 2013 May 14; Accepted 2013 May 14.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of salt (NaCl) recognition threshold and pleasant salt concentrations of Korean rural elderly subjects on preference of salty food as well as food group consumption patterns. The subjects were 213 elderly people (male 71 and female 142) over 65 and under 90 yr of age from Sunchang area. The higher values were found with male subjects in the areas of basic taste recognition threshold and pleasant concentration level of salt. The taste sensitivity scores of male subjects did not decrease with the increasing age, but female subjects exhibited a significant decrease with the age. The major determinant factor of salt preference of the elderly subjects in this study appeared to be personal pleasant concentration of salt rather than salt recognition threshold level and this trend was more evident in males than in females. The subject group of lower salt pleasant concentration i.e. consuming less salt showed the higher number of fruit and fruit juice intakes per week, and higher MNA (define this) scores were implying that they display more desirable nutritional status. Therefore, nutritional education focused on not only a variety of food consumption but also lowering pleasant salt concentration levels is advised to improve the quality of nutrition in the elderly.

Keywords: elderly; recognition threshold; pleasant salt concentration; salty food taste

Notes

This work was supported by the 2012 Hannam University Research Fund.

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Table 1

General characteristics of the subjects

1) p-value of the χ²-test

2) Mean ± SD

3) N (%)

^***: p < 0.001

Table 2

Concentrations of recognition threshold of 4 basic taste qualities and pleasant salty taste by gender

1) p-value of the t-test, 2) Mean ± SD

^**: p < 0.01, ^***: p < 0.001

Table 3

Concentration of recognition thresholds of 4 basic taste qualities and pleasant salty taste by age groups

1) p-value of the t-test, 2) Mean ± SD

^*: p < 0.05, ^**: p < 0.01, ^***: p < 0.001

Table 4

Correlation coefficient among recognition threshold of tastes and pleasant salty taste adjusted by age and gender

1) Pearson's correlation coefficient

^*: p < 0.05, ^**: p < 0.01, ^***: p < 0.001

Table 5

Preferences of taste of food by gender

1) p-value of the χ²-test, 2) % of subjects

^*: p < 0.05, ^**: p < 0.01

Table 6

Preferences of salty food by recognition threshold of salty taste group, pleasant salty taste group and gender

1) p-value of the χ²-test

2) Recognition threshold of NaCl group: low group: below mean value of recognition threshold, high group: above mean value of recognition threshold

3) % of subjects

4) Pleasant salty taste group: low group: below mean value of concentration of pleasant salty taste, high group: above mean value of concentration of pleasant salty taste

^***: p < 0.001

Table 7

Education and food behaviors of subjects by recognition threshold of salty taste group and pleasant salty taste group

1) Recognition threshold of NaCl group: low group: below mean value of recognition threshold, high group: above mean value of recognition threshold

2) p-value of the t-test

3) Pleasant salty taste group: low group: below mean value of concentration of pleasant salty taste, high group: above mean value of concentration of pleasant salty taste

4) Mean ± SD

5) Brown (2008)

^*: p < 0.05, ^**: p < 0.01, ^***: p < 0.001