The Effects of a Nutrition Literacy Enhancement Program to Food Consumption Behaviour and Muscle Mass for Older Persons with Malnutrition in Lampang Province
Keywords:
nutrition literacy, food consumption behaviour, muscle mass, older persons with malnutritionAbstract
This quasi-experimental study aimed to examine the effects of a nutrition literacy promotion program on nutrition literacy, dietary behavior, and muscle mass in malnutrition older adults in Lampang Province. A total of 54 participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 27) or the control group (n = 27). The experimental group received a group-based nutrition literacy program, while the control group received routine care. Data were collected using include nutrition literacy programs, nutrition literacy questionnaire for older persons with malnutrition and a dietary behavior questionnaire for older persons with malnutrition, with reliability coefficients of .86 and .92. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and paired t-tests were used for data analysis.
The results indicated that participants in the experimental group had significantly higher scores in nutrition literacy, food consumption behaviour, and muscle mass compared to the control group (p < .05) and showed significant improvements from pre-intervention scores (p < .01). These findings suggest that providing nutrition education program according to literacy levels can effectively enhance dietary behavior, including adequate protein and nutrient intake, which in turn increases muscle mass.
The program can be applied by healthcare personnel to promote nutrition literacy among malnutrition older adults, enabling them to manage their own nutrition and make appropriate dietary choices, thereby supporting better health outcomes.
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