Constructing a Support System to Enable Elderly Individuals Living in Areas with Heavy Snowfall to Maintain Independent Nutrition and Dietary Behavior

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K11856
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Community health nursing
• Research Institution: Niigata College of Nursing
• Principal Investigator: Iiyoshi Yoshie 新潟県立看護大学, 看護学部, 准教授 (40279849)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 井上 智代 新潟県立看護大学, 看護学部, 講師 (80621763)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 高齢者 / 豪雪地域 / 栄養・食生活行動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

An anonymous postal survey targeting 1,140 elderly individuals living in areas with heavy snowfall was conducted; responses from 570 individuals were analyzed. Food diversity scores were three points or below on a ten-point scale for 55.4% of the respondents. By food type, a small percentage of respondents ate seaweed and meat “almost daily.” Group interviews of resident representatives and experts were also conducted. This resulted in the extraction of five categories of issues related to elderly individuals maintaining good nutrition and dietary behavior. These categories included securing a means of autonomously going shopping, securing a supporter for meal services, and others.
Recommended services include providing transportation to enable elderly individuals to go shopping and pick out ingredients themselves, creating opportunities for elderly individuals to eat meals together, and providing supporters to aid in meal preparation.

Free Research Field

地域看護