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

Thesis--University of Maryland. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-101).

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Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2001. / Omsl.: "Kungsholmsprojektet" Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Thesis--University of Maryland. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-101).

Thesis (doctoral)--Freie Universität Berlin, 1980.