Consumption of macro and micronutrients of elderly people with type 2 diabetes mellitus assisted at the nucleus to support for the elderly

Abstract

Objective: Evaluating the macro and micronutrient intake in elderly diabetic patients treated at the Elderly Care Center of the Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil.  Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with diabetic (n = 55) and non-diabetic (n = 66) older adults. Data were collected from patient charts and food frequency questionnaires. The analysis of diet was performed using the DietWin Professional 2008. The Student’s t-test was used for the statistical analysis, with a 5% significance level.  Results: The female sex accounted for 86.6% of the group with diabetes and 73.8% of the group without diabetes. Mean age was 61.8 years and 72.5 years, respectively. The excess weight was more frequent in the group with diabetes (67%) when compared to the group without diabetes (49.2%, p <0.027). The caloric intake of patients with diabetes was higher (1257.94 kcal) than in those without diabetes (970.81 kcal, p = 0.01). With the same statistical significance, we found the same for sodium (1810.12 mg x 592.92 mg), calcium (721.44 mg x 286.23 mg), zinc (8.73 mg x 6.26 mg), magnesium (266.22 mg) mg x 128.60 mg), vitamin A (442.35 μg x 131.83 μg) and E (4.59 mg x 1.45 mg). On the other hand, lower potassium intake (1580.83 mg x 2349.23 mg, p <0.01) and protein (9% x 17%, p <0.01) were observed. Conclusion: A hypercaloric eating pattern was identified in the elderly with diabetes, followed by an excess of sodium, calcium, magnesium, and zinc, with reduced protein and potassium consumption.