Nutri-eSCREEN®: descriptive analysis of a self-management site for older adults (50+ years)

Abstract

Background: Older adults (50+ years of age) are a prime target for prevention programs and nutrition education that can improve their eating habits. Yet, most programs target specific disease groups or more vulnerable older adults. As well, the majority of nutrition education programs evaluated to date have been delivered in-person by a health provider. Self-management for upstream nutrition problems that lead to nutrition risk is needed. The internet has made possible the opportunity for the spread of credible nutrition education that can promote awareness and improve knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to describe an internet-based self-management site for older adults focused on nutrition behaviours and present descriptive results of users between 2012 and 2015. Methods: Nutri-eSCREEN® (http://www.nutritionscreen.ca/escreen/) is based on SCREENII, a valid and reliable nutrition screening tool for older adults. It was developed over an 18-month period, which included focus groups, key informant interviews and a usability analysis. Descriptive and bivariate analysis have subsequently been completed on over 15,000 Nutri-eSCREEN® users over the age of 50 years. Results: Most older adult users were between the ages of 50 and 74 years and were women (80.2 %). Nutrition risk was common and increased with age (e.g. 68 % of 85+ year olds were high risk). Several age and gender differences in prevalence of nutrition behaviours were noted. For example, swallowing problems were more likely to occur in the oldest age group (χ 2 = 511.8 p < 0.0001). Key nutrition behaviours were also associated with each other. For example, chewing problems were associated with lower intake of fruits and vegetables (χ 2 = 825.7 p < 0.0001).

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A randomized controlled trial examining consumers’ perceptions and opinions on using different versions of a FoodFlip© smartphone application for delivery of nutrition information

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