Quality of the habits on healthy eatingand its relation withsociodemographic factors in elderly adults of Curgos, Peru

Abstract

The quality of the habits based on 10 steps for a healthy eating established for Peruand its relation withsome sociodemographic factors in elderly adults of the district of Curgos, La Libertad-Peru, was studied.It was used a random sampling by conglomerates for the selection of 255 individuals, as well as a descriptive design to study the quality of the habits and a correlational one to study the relations between this variable and the considered factors. Data were collected by means of an interview guide and analyzed by means of the correlation of Pearson and the chi square, t, ANOVA, and multiple comparison tests.The habits quality average (0,59) was below the acceptable minimum value (0,66). The quality of the habits is only acceptable in few of theelderly adults; the habit with thehighestquality average, acceptable and healthy in most of the individuals, corresponds to step one (at least, consume three daily meals in its established schedules), whereas the habit with a low quality average, nonacceptable nor healthy, corresponds to step two (include all the nourishing groups daily). The most relevant correlation between the quality of the habits on some steps is positive and weak, but highly significant. Finally, the age is the only factor significantly associated to the quality of the habits in such population.