The Effects of Brief Diet Education in Office on Body Weight and Blood Pressure in Olders

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: It is one of the important strategies to maintain a appropriate body weight and blood pressure by diet and exercise for the elderly. But there is some difficulties to perform the specific diet therapy continuously at the primary medical environment. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the brief diet education by physician on body weight and blood pressure for the elderly at the out patient clinic. METHOD: A retrospective design reviewing medical record with elderly(60 and over 60 years) men and women(N=110) from who had complete medical record when they visited first and revisited. 70 samples(education group) attended at the diet education with physician, 40 samples were non education group. For education group, we performed general diet principal, and investigated the change of body weight, diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure at the first visit, one month, and three month. RESULT: there was significant difference on the both group's body weight, diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure according to diet education. Body weight, diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure were decreased average 0.98+/-2.01 kg, 10.33+/-15.60mmHg, 4.97+/-9.16 mmHg on education group, but there is no significant difference on non education group. CONCLUSION: A brief diet education can be a very useful method for management of body weight and blood pressure for the elderly in the way of cost-effectiveness. Also we can obtain more higher educational effect with regular practice.