COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Changes in Nutrition Behaviors of Older Adults

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this project was to determine the changes in nutrition behaviors of older adults before and since COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: An online survey administered by Qualtrics was used for data collection. The survey was administered between August 9, 2020 through September 15, 2020. The sample size included 9,969 participants with 5,733 females (57%) and 4,236 males (43%). The age ranged from 40 to100 years (M = 62.09, SD = 11.22). The 24-item Dietary Screening Tool (DST) was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 20: IBM, Inc.) Descriptive statistics were provided as mean and standard deviation (SD) for continuous variables and frequency and percentages for categorical variables. Differences between nutritional items before and since COVID-19 were examined using paired-sample t-test (11 pairs) for normal distribution, Wilcoxon's signed-rank tests (8 pairs) for nonparametric distributions and McNemar test for 12 yes/no questions (6 pairs). RESULTS: Changes in consumption before and since COVID-19 were measured. For total participants, drinking alcohol decreased significantly (48.1% vs. 46.9%). The decrease in drinking alcohol was statistical significance with gender (male: 57.2 vs.55.2%; female:41.4% vs. 40.7%). The number of servings of milk, cheese and yogurt decreased significantly since COVID-19 (P < 0.001). Total participants showed a significant decrease in the frequency of eating fruit as a snack, whole grains, popcorn, cakes and pies since COVID-19 (P < 0.001). There was no difference in vegetable intake (carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli or spinach) since COVID-19 (P = 0.644). For White participants, the frequency of meat intake of chicken or turkey (P < 0.001), bacon or sausage (P < 0.0010), and cold cuts, hot dogs, lunchmeats, or deli meats (P = 0.044) were significantly different before and since COVID-19; for Blacks, chicken or turkey (P = 0.004), bacon or sausage (P = 0.033), and for Asians, the frequency of all meats had no significant changes before and since COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides nutritional related behaviors of older adults during a period of limited movement and how adjustments are made that could be limiting nutritionally. FUNDING SOURCES: Hatch Multi-State Research Capacity funding (NE-1939, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA.