According to a new study published in nutrition journal, A supportive social environment may protect against nutritional risks in middle-aged and older adults.
Older adults are more vulnerable to nutritional risks and health consequences associated with inadequate nutrition due to physiological changes associated with the aging process. Additionally, social conditions such as lonely eating, inadequate assistance with grocery shopping and meal preparation may also contribute to nutritional risk in older adults. Evidence from a variety of health-related studies shows the importance of strong social connections. Additionally, impaired social support networks are associated not only with increased mortality risk but also with poor nutritional status. Many social factors are also associated with good nutritional status, such as being married, trust and security in the community, and membership in a religious group. Although the relationship between individual social factors and nutritional health has been previously evaluated, the simultaneous relationship between multiple social factors and their overall contribution to the strength of the social environment has not been considered. It wasn’t. Because social factors can act synergistically to influence nutritional outcomes, studies that evaluate multiple social factors in combination are needed.
To fill this knowledge gap, Nielsen (McGill University) and colleagues evaluated the relationship between different profiles of social environments and nutritional risk status in adults. Using latent structural analysis, we identified a profile of the social environment consisting of discrete measures related to support, such as network size, social support, social cohesion, and objective social isolation. Assessment of consumption of major food groups (whole grains, protein foods, dairy products, fruits and vegetables) by socio-environmental profile and nutritional risk status was also assessed. To examine whether associations differed across life stages, analyzes were conducted for the entire sample and by subgroups of middle-aged (40–65 years) and older adults (65 years and older).
Utilizing baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging Comprehensive Cohort, data were collected by telephone survey and in-person assessment from 2011 to 2015. The study evaluated physical, economic, psychological, demographic, and behavioral aspects of 51,338 people (30,097 of them). Inclusive Cohort) Study participants aged 45 to 86 years. A total of 24 separate social measures related to support were condensed to form indicator subgroups (network size, social support, social cohesion, and social isolation index) for latent structure analysis.
The results of this study show that nutritional risk scores vary significantly between socio-environmental profiles in a dose-response manner among middle-aged and older individuals. Socioenvironmental profiles with low support had the poorest nutritional outcomes, and these outcomes improved as support increased in the social environment. Low social support profiles also have the worst scores on nearly all social environment screening items, and low social support is associated with a range of risk factors and determinants, including nutritional risk. It is suggested that.
A more supportive social environment may protect against nutritional risks in middle-aged and older adults. Strategies to reduce nutritional risks can benefit from assessing social factors as factors in the problem, especially how social factors are related to dietary intake.
In an accompanying commentary, Cahill (Dalhousie University) presents viable intervention targets for supporting the social environments of middle-aged and older adults.
References
Ingham N, Labonte K, Dube L, Paquet C, Nielsen D. A more supportive social environment may protect against nutritional risks: a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Journal of Nutrition, Volume 153, Issue 6, June 2023, Pages 1793–1802, doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.01.020.
Cahill LE. Dinner support: A supportive social environment is important for healthy nutrition in middle age and older adults. Volume 153, Issue 6, June 2023, Pages 1661–1662, doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.03.036.
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