Ninety people, aged 60 and older, were interviewed regarding their shopping habits, use of convenience foods, frequency of food use and reasons for food preferences. The relation of income level and education level to reasons for food use was also investigated. The major source of purchased food was the chain supermarket. Shopping was done primarily on a once a week basis. The food groups purchased most frequently were fruits and vegetables, and milk and milk products. The primary determinants of these shopping patterns were food quality, economy, and convenience. Convenience foods were widely used by the elderly study subjects. They were valued for their ease of preparation. Income level did not influence the choice of market place or the use of convenience foods. More than three fourths of the subjects used some form of milk each day. Low fat milks were most popular. Ground beef and chicken were the most frequently used meats. Beef steaks and roasts and all forms of pork were also well liked. The fruits, in general, were well liked and used on a regular basis. Green beans were the most frequently used vegetable on a weekly basis; lettuce the most frequently used vegetable on a daily basis. With one exception, enriched breads were consumed daily by all subjects. The dry, unsweetened cereals were the most frequently used form of cereal. A preference was found for margarine and oil over butter, shortening, cream, and lard. Coffee, tea, fruit and vegetable juices were all consumed frequently. Soft drinks, artificially sweetened drinks and alcoholic beverages were less acceptable to the elderly. Sensory reasons and the degree of preparation required by a food item were the two most frequently given reasons for food selection. Health considerations were also important to the older people who were both weight conscious and concerned about heart disease. Neither income level nor educational level had an influence on the reasons given for food use. / Graduation date: 1975

The effects of improved oral hygiene on the nutrition of 23 elderly institutionalized men and women were investigated. An experimental group of 12 received professional oral hygiene treatments three times weekly for a period of five weeks, while a control group of 11 received only placebo work. Changes in taste perception, nutrient intake, and selected blood parameters were measured. Improved oral hygiene appeared to be responsible for increases in taste acuity. There were significantly more experimental than control subjects who showed improved ability to detect sweet, sour, and salty tastes, and improved identification thresholds for sweet and salty tastes. The nutrient intake of many of the subjects fell below the recommended dietary allowances for this age group, especially for folate. No significant dietary improvement was directly attributable to improved oral hygiene. However, at the end of the five-week period, both groups showed significant increases in their mean dietary calories, protein, calcium, vitamin A, and riboflavin. In addition, the diet of the experimental group increased significantly in iron and thiamin. The dietary improvement appeared to be associated with the psychological effect of frequent professional attention. No significant improvements in blood parameters were shown by either group as a result of the treatment. However, significantly more experimental than control subjects showed an increase in hemoglobin concentration, plasma protein, and plasma ascorbic acid. Low plasma folate concentrations were found in all subjects and there was no folate response to either treatment. / Graduation date: 1975

Folic acid and ascorbic acid status have been assessed in twenty non-institutionalized elderly subjects with respect to both hematological and dietary aspects. The hemoglobins, hematocrits, and serum ascorbic acid concentrations were within the normal range. A few subjects had total serum protein concentrations which were less than the acceptable level. More than half of the subjects had serum folic acid concentrations below the acceptable level. Mean dietary nutrient intakes were comparable to the Recommended Dietary Allowances with the exception of calories and folic acid. In general, the diets of the men were higher in calories, protein and iron while diets of the women were higher in ascorbic and folic acids. The men tended to have higher hematocrits, hemoglobin and serum folates while the women had higher serum concentrations of ascorbic acid. No significant effect due to vitamin C supplementation was observed. Although there was no significant correlation between the serum concentrations of ascorbic and folic acids, examinations of group means suggested that these parameters were inversely related. Multiple regression analyses of hematological values and dietary nutrient intakes revealed no significant effects. / Graduation date: 1975

The effect of pyridoxine (PN) supplementation on lymphocyte responsiveness was investigated in 15 elderly volunteers (aged 65-81 years) by measuring lymphocyte proliferation to T and B cell mitogens, lymphocyte subpopulations with monoclonal antibodies (T3, T4, T8) and plasma pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) concentration at pre-supplementation and after 1 and 2 months of daily supplementation. Eleven subjects received 50mg of PN-HC1 and 4 received a placebo. Dietary histories were also evaluated for Intake of vitamin B-6, protein and kilocalories. Mitogens used for the stimulation of lvmphocyte proliferation were phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalln A (Con A), pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and Staphylococcus aureus Cowain I (SAC). Plasma PLP was measured by a radio tracer method. Before supplementation, mean PLP of the 15 subjects was 31.7 +/- 14.1 nM; 5 PN and 3 placebo treated subjects had low PLP levels. After 1 and 2 months of PN-HCl supplementation, the PLP levels Increased by 195 +/-88 nM and 201 +/-84 nM, respectively. Lymphocyte proliferation In response to PHA, PWM, and SAC Increased significantly (p < 0.05) with PN supplementation. Among PN-treated subjects, Ivmpbocyte blaatogenesls was significantly greater In response to Con A and PWM in individuals whose initial PLP was low. Percentages of T3+ and T4+, but not T8+ cells increased significantly In PN-treated individuals. These results suggest that vitamin B-6 status is important in maintaining immunocompetence in the elderly. / Graduation date: 1986

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1970.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1986.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2004. / Bibliography: leaves 104-110.

M. Tech. (Department of Hospitality, Faculty of Human Sciences) Vaal University of Technology / Introduction: The education, training and development (ETD) industry has developed fast over the past few years in our country. One need only read the national weekend papers and see all the ETD vacancies advertised to realise that ETD issues are being given increased coverage in this country. The reason for this increased focus on ETD is the need for skilled workers in organisations. Reports on our competitiveness in the world have consistently identified the lack of people development as a major stumbling block for the South African economy in competing in the global market. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to measure the impact of a training programme for the food service workers providing meals to 300 elderly people attending the Sharpeville Care of the Aged centre, in terms of a skills development programme, in order to contribute to increased productivity and provide nutritious meals to the elderly. Methods: A baseline survey was undertaken to determine the nutritional status, food consumption patterns and nutrient intake in a random sample of 300 elderly people attending the care centre five days a week. Socio-demographic and health questionnaires, as well as 24-hour recall questionnaires were completed with the assistance of trained fieldworkers. Anthropometric measurements included weight, height, and Mid-Upper Arm Circumference. Furthermore, the existing menus served to the elderly were theoretically analysed using FoodFinder® version 3 program to determine the energy, carbohydrate, protein and fat content. A developed and tested questionnaire was used to gather information from ten volunteer food service workers at the care centre to determine the training needs. The results of the baseline survey, the menu analysis and training needs assessment were used to develop a training programme that was implemented for a period of ten weeks. Learning was measured after the training programme by administering the same knowledge questionnaire, as well as by a portfolio of evidence and practical assessment. Data analyses: Data for the baseline survey was captured on an Excel spreadsheet. Data analysis was done using the Statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows version 10.0 program for all variables except dietary intake data. Dietary intake and food consumption data were analysed by a registered dietician using the FoodFinder® version 3 program, developed by the Medical Research Council (MRC). Daily nutrient intakes were reported as means and standard deviations and compared to RDAs. Paired t tests were done to determine correlations between knowledge of the food service workers before and after the implementation of the training programme. Results: The results indicated that the majority of the elderly had an income of between R500 and R1 000 per month and most of them reported an occasional lack of funds to meet basic household needs, confirming the presence of food insecurity. Daily dietary intakes (mean ±Standard Deviation [SD] were 5 041,2 ± 2 299,6 kilojoules (kJ) energy, 50,4 ± 28,2 gram (g) protein, 38,9 ± 28,2 g fat and 149,0 ± 76,6 g carbohydrates. The majority (29.5%) were overweight (body mass index [BMI] ~25) or obese (BMI ~30) whilst 33.5% had a mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) of ~21.7 centimetres (em). Mean intakes of micronutrients were low in comparison with the reference standards. The volunteer food service workers were literate as the majority had higher than grade 10-12 training and 80% had previously received on-the-job training. The training programme was successfully implemented and the knowledge of the voluntary food service workers improved after the training programme was implemented. However, because of the small sample size no significance could be determined. Conclusions: The findings of this study confirmed that poverty, malnutrition, both under- and over-nutrition, as well as household food insecurity and poor health were the major problems observed in this elderly community. These findings correspond to other studies, however limited, conducted amongst the elderly in South Africa. The results indicated that, although the food service workers were literate and had received prior training, they still had a poor knowledge of appropriate food preparation method and practices, as well as nutrition, especially related to the elderly. On completion of the training programme, the knowledge of the food service workers improved. This study emphasises the importance of continued on-the-job training Recommendations: The recommendations of further research include: 1) A more detailed study to evaluate the influence of the training programme not only on knowledge and skills, but also on behaviour and attitude. 2) Periodically measuring such influence over a year to measure knowledge retention. 3) Implementation of a NEP for the elderly and its impact on nutrition knowledge and dietary intake behaviour tested. / National Research Foundation (NRF