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Cancer Control Research

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The older population in the United States has been growing and aging rapidly. The population of persons 65 years and older is expected to double over the next 30 years with those 85 and older expected to grow faster than any other age group. Chronic diseases, including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and cancers are among the leading causes of disability and death for older adults. The diseases have significant influences on life quality and health care costs. Diet is an important factor in reducing risk for and improving management of many chronic diseases. Nutrition screening is one strategy for enhancing preventive nutritional care of older persons. The Geisinger Rural Aging Study (GRAS) is a longitudinal screening study of nutrition risk and health outcomes of rural older adults. The GRAS screening instrument does not adequately assess dietary intake. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate a questionnaire to be used as a screen for assessment of dietary quality. A two-phased study is proposed. In Phase 1, the dietary quality screen (DQS) will be developed using data already available from a nutrition study (n=179), specifically dietary data collected by five 24-hour recalls over one year. In Phase 2, the DQS will be assessed for reproducibility and validity in a new cohort of older adults (n=225) selected from the GRAS population. Reproducibility will be assessed with a test-retest design and validity by comparison of DQS scores to dietary quality indexes from four 24-hour recalls administered over a 1-month period. Associations between DQS scores and weight status (i.e., body mass index and waist circumference) and selected biomarkers will be assessed. The results from this study can facilitate dietary counseling of older adults and provide guidance for nutritional interventions. Future research will evaluate the DQS in a more racially and geographically diverse population of older adults.