Rationale Poor appetite is considered a key factor in the development of malnutrition, a link that can be explained by alterations in dietary intake. Given the limited data on dietary characteristics in community-dwelling older adults with poor appetite, the present study aimed to examine whether poor appetite is associated with lower nutrient intake and more unfavourable food choices. Methods In 569 participants of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam aged ≥70 years appetite was assessed using the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire and dichotomised into normal (>14) and poor (≤14). Intake of energy, 19 nutrients, 15 food groups, the Dutch Healthy Diet Index 2015 (DHD15) and Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) were calculated from a food frequency questionnaire. Dietary differences between appetite groups were examined using Mann–Whitney U test and binary logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders. Results Mean age was 78 ± 6 years and 52% were female. Appetite was poor in 12.5% of participants. Energy intake was 1951 (median; quartiles 1–3: 1,653–2,384) kcal/day with no difference between appetite groups. Poor appetite was associated with lower intake of protein (OR 0.948, 95%CI 0.922–0.973), folate (0.981, 0.973–0.989), zinc (0.619, 0.454–0.846), vegetables (0.988, 0.982–0.994) and lower scores of DHD15 (0.964, 0.945–0.983) and MDS (0.904, 0.850–0.961), as well as higher intake of carbohydrates (1.015, 1.006–1.023), and vitamins B2 (4.577, 1.650–12.694) and C (1.013, 1.005–1.021). Conclusions Community-dwelling older adults with poor appetite showed poorer diet quality with a lower intake of protein, folate, zinc and vegetables, compared with those reporting normal appetite and should be advised accordingly.

中文翻译：

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食欲不佳的社区老年人的饮食特征：横断面分析


基本原理 食欲不佳被认为是导致营养不良的一个关键因素，这种联系可以通过饮食摄入量的改变来解释。鉴于有关食欲不佳的社区老年人饮食特征的数据有限，本研究旨在探讨食欲不佳是否与较低的营养摄入和更不利的食物选择有关。方法 使用简化营养食欲问卷对阿姆斯特丹纵向衰老研究的 569 名年龄≥70 岁的参与者进行食欲评估，并将其分为正常（>14）和差（≤14）。根据食物频率调查问卷计算能量摄入量、19 种营养素、15 种食物组、2015 年荷兰健康饮食指数 (DHD15) 和地中海饮食评分 (MDS)。使用曼-惠特尼 U 检验和针对潜在混杂因素进行调整的二元逻辑回归来检查食欲组之间的饮食差异。结果 平均年龄为 78 ± 6 岁，其中 52% 为女性。 12.5% 的参与者食欲不佳。能量摄入量为 1951（中位数；四分位数 1-3：1,653-2,384）千卡/天，食欲组之间没有差异。食欲不佳与蛋白质（OR 0.948，95%CI 0.922–0.973）、叶酸（0.981，0.973–0.989）、锌（0.619，0.454–0.846）、蔬菜（0.988，0.982–0.994）摄入量较低和较低分数相关DHD15 (0.964, 0.945–0.983) 和 MDS (0.904, 0.850–0.961)，以及碳水化合物 (1.015, 1.006–1.023)、维生素 B2 (4.577, 1.650–12.694) 和 C (1.013, 1.005) 的摄入量增加–1.021）。结论 与食欲正常的老年人相比，食欲不佳的社区老年人饮食质量较差，蛋白质、叶酸、锌和蔬菜的摄入量较低，应给予相应建议。