Another study of adults older than age 60 years reported that 72.5% of participants did not meet the recommended minimum guidelines for fruit and vegetable consumption ( Prochaska et al., 2005).
older adult population did not report adequate consumption of these foods ( Sahyoun et al., 2005).
In a study based on the “5-A-Day” program, over half of the U.S. Poor nutrition is one of several factors responsible for mortality and morbidity in the elderly ( Schlettwein-Gsell, 1992) and is comparable to deaths caused from cigarette smoking ( Nestle, 2007). Because older adults represent a growing part of the population of the United States, it becomes increasingly important to focus research on the factors influencing their health. In fact, according to the CDC ( 2007a), “chronic diseases disproportionately affect older adults and are associated with disability, diminished quality of life, and increased costs for health care and long-term care” and account for almost one-third of healthcare expenditures. Specifically, the new recommendations included 2 to 6–1/2 cups (473 to 1538 mL) of fruit and vegetables, or the equivalent of four to 13 servings per day ( CDC, 2007b).Īs a result of decreased physical activity, dietary changes, and alterations in metabolic rate, older adults are susceptible to an increased rate of diseases ( Arterburn et al., 2004). This program launched a new public health initiative, Fruit & Veggies-More Matters, to reflect new dietary guidelines, which recommended increasing the quantity of fruit and vegetables consumed per day ( CDC, 2007b). 2007, the national “5-A-Day” fruit and vegetable program led by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) became the National Fruit and Vegetable Program ( CDC, 2007b). The generation entering older adulthood is one that welcomed fast food and meal replacement foods allowing them to adapt to a more sedentary lifestyle and to need preventative health programs ( Chappa et al., 2004). Department of Health and Human Services, 2005). By 2004, life expectancy had increased to 77.8 years of age ( Arias, 2007), and by 2010, older adults (65 years or older) are expected to increase to 40 million in the United States ( U.S. Older adults represent a growing portion of the population of the United States. Keywords: nutrition diet health eating preferences Gender was also evaluated with no statistically significant differences found for overall fruit and vegetable intake. Additionally, the length of time an individual reported having participated in gardening activities seemed to have no relationship to the number of vegetables and fruit reported as consumed, which suggests gardening intervention programs late in life would be an effective method of boosting vegetable and fruit consumption in older adults. However, these results were not found with regard to fruit consumption between gardeners and nongardeners. The results of this research supports previous studies that indicated gardeners were more likely to consume vegetables when compared with nongardeners. Data collected were analyzed using statistical procedures, including descriptive statistics, Pearson's product-moment correlations, and multivariate analysis of variance. A total of 261 questionnaires was completed. An online survey was designed to be answered by older adults (50 years or older) and respondents self-selected themselves for inclusion in the study. The primary focuses of this study were to examine and compare fruit and vegetable consumption of gardeners and nongardeners and to investigate any differences in fruit and vegetable consumption of long-term gardeners when compared with newer gardeners in adults older than age 50 years. Research has shown that gardening is one way of improving fruit and vegetable intake. older population does not meet the recommendation of five daily servings of fruit and vegetables. Although older adults tend to report a higher intake of fruit and vegetables than other age groups, over half of the U.S.
New dietary guidelines recommend eating more than five servings of fruit and vegetables each day without setting upper limitations.
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