Dietary habits and physical activity patterns among Slovenian elderly : cross-sectional survey with cluster analysis
Prehranske in gibalne navade slovenskih starostnikov : presečna anketna raziskava z metodo razvrščanja v skupine

english

2015

volume 49, issue 1

aging factors   cluster analysis   elderly   health promotion   lifestyle

Zbornica zdravstvene in babiške nege Slovenije - Zveza strokovnih društev medicinskih sester, babic in zdravstvenih tehnikov Slovenije
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

Introduction: Physical activity and a healthy diet are significant predictors of healthy ageing-they help the elderly maintain their physical and mental health, and prevent chronic diseases. Methods: The data for the empirical quantitative survey were collected on the sample of 218 elderly community-dwelling participants (aged 65 years or more), using a structured questionnaire for self-reporting. Data analyses were proceed by the bivariate statistics, and multivariate hierarchical cluster analysis. Results: Most respondents reported good dietary habits (83.1 %) and a satisfactory physical activity level (60.5 %). On average, the elderly eat 3-4 meals per day (59.8 %) and engage in physical activity at least three times a week (58.6 %), with interventions lasting 15 minutes or more (84.4 %) and non-organized activities were prevailing (96.2 %). Ward's method yielded three clusters with homogenous dietary and physical activity patterns: 'Health Consciousness' (30.8 %), 'Being At Risk' (42.7 %) and 'Special Requirements' (26.5 %). Discussion and conclusion: In the future, special attention should be placed on the elderly group with special dietary and physical activity requirements. Additional studies on representative samples are required for a comprehensive investigation into the lifestyle behaviours of elderly individuals.

23.06.2015