Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of home-visiting nutrition education for the elderly with high fasting glucose level in an urban community. The study subjects were 40 elderly people, whose information on general characteristics, anthropometric measurement, biochemical indices, nutrition knowledge, nutrition attitude, dietary habit, food intake and nutrient intake were obtained at baseline. The education group received 6 weekly visits of home-visiting nutrition education from 15 March to 25 April 2004. In the baseline-survey, the education group and non-education group showed no differences in their general characteristics, health-related characteristics, anthropometric measurements, biochemical indices, nutrition knowledge, nutrition attitudes, dietary habits, and food and nutrient intake levels. The difference of mean change of nutrition knowledge, nutrition attitude and dietary habit after home-visiting nutrition education had been studied. The nutrition knowledge score increased by 1.4 in the education group; however, those in the non-education group which increased by 0.4, thus, the differences of mean change were statistically significant (p<0.05). The nutrition attitude score increased by 1.2 in the education group; however, those in the non-education group decreased by 0.4, thus, the differences of mean change were statistically significant (p<0.01). The dietary habit score increased by 1.7 in the education group; however, those in the non-education group decreased by 2.8, thus, the differences of mean change were statistically significant (p<0.01). The difference of mean change of anthropometric indices and biochemical indices in education group and the non-education group was not significant. Looking over the zcereals and their products, vegetables, seaweeds, meats and their products, and fish than the non-education group. The MAR increased by 0.06 in the education group; however, that in the non-education group increased by 0.01, thus, the differences of mean change were statistically significant (p<0.05). The differences of mean change of fasting blood glucose and biochemical indices after home-visiting nutrition education were studied. Fasting blood glucose decreased by 7.6 mg/dL in the education group; however, in the non-education group which increased by 0.4 mg/dL, the difference of mean change was not significant (p=0.051). The above findings suggest that home visiting nutrition education increases the nutrition knowledge and nutrition attitude, as well as, it is effective to change dietary habits. If the education period is extended, not fasting blood glucose improvement was insignificant, but fasting blood glucose improvement ability could be found by changing dietary habits.

• Keywords: elderly; home-visiting nutrition education; nutrition knowledge; nutrition attitude; dietary habit; fasting glucose tolerance