142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Food supply among elderly home-delivered meal recipients with high blood pressure

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Rita McWilliams, PhD, MPH , Human Ecology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
INTRODUCTION The elderly are at an increased risk for hypertension. The prevalence of in US adults age 60 and above is 67%. High blood pressure (HBP) is associated with Hypertension.  Between 2010 and 2013, Rutgers University collaborated with the Meals on Wheels (MOW) on a study of food safety and emergency preparedness among MOW recipients in five US states, 60+ years of age and living alone. This study examined a subset with self-reported current diagnosis of HBP and dietary restrictions of ‘low salt’ and associated the results with the sodium content of their home food supply. 

METHODS During home-visits, data collectors administered a computer-assisted survey concerning the participant’s current health status and recorded nutritional information from each of the food products in the home, including those in the refrigerator and freezer.

RESULTS Of 719 participants in this study 66% were female; 68% White, 28% African American, and 4% other. Mean age was 79.92.  3 participants had no food and 8 had < 2000 kcal of food in the home. Of participants with food in the home, 66% self-reported a current diagnosis of HBP and 23% were on ‘low salt’ diets.  Of these, The nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR)1 for sodium (100% daily value (1500 mg/day) of sodium available/2,000 calories) was 1.56, indicating the sodium content of their food supply was on average 56% higher than recommended.

DISCUSSION The excess sodium in the home food supplies of elderly individuals with HBP represents a preventable health risk.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Chronic disease management and prevention
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Provision of health care to the public
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the lack of knowledge in homebound elderly home delivered meal recipients of the nutritional quality of their food supplies, especially as it relates to their current health status. Discuss the vulnerability of this population should home deliveries cease.

Keyword(s): Nutrition, Hypertension

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: My current studies include how diet and environment influence disease and the measurement of disaster preparedness to inform public health policy. I have been a collaborator in several studies of coping behaviors resulting from food insecurity and have been the co-principal of a state funded grant and currently have USDA proposal focusing on the nutritional quality of coupons. I have been working with Drs Hallman, Cuite & Byrd-Bredbenner's on the MOW study since its inception.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 5001.0: Nutrition and Aging