This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of home-visiting
nutrition education for the
elderly with high
fasting glucose level in an urban
community. The study subjects were 40
elderly people, whose information on general characteristics, anthropometric measurement, biochemical
indices, nutrition knowledge,
nutrition attitude,
dietary habit,
food intake and
nutrient intake were obtained at baseline. The
education group received 6 weekly visits of home-visiting
nutrition education from 15 March to 25 April 2004. In the baseline-
survey, the
education group and non-
education group showed no differences in their general characteristics,
health-related characteristics, anthropometric measurements, biochemical
indices, nutrition knowledge,
nutrition attitudes,
dietary habits, and
food and
nutrient intake levels. The difference of mean change of
nutrition knowledge,
nutrition attitude and
dietary habit after home-visiting
nutrition education had been studied. The
nutrition knowledge score increased by 1.4 in the
education group; however, those in the non-
education group which increased by 0.4, thus, the differences of mean change were statistically significant (p<0.05). The
nutrition attitude score increased by 1.2 in the
education group; however, those in the non-
education group decreased by 0.4, thus, the differences of mean change were statistically significant (p<0.01). The
dietary habit score increased by 1.7 in the
education group; however, those in the non-
education group decreased by 2.8, thus, the differences of mean change were statistically significant (p<0.01). The difference of mean change of anthropometric indices and biochemical indices in
education group and the non-
education group was not significant. Looking over the zcereals and their products,
vegetables, seaweeds,
meats and their products, and fish than the non-
education group. The MAR increased by 0.06 in the
education group; however, that in the non-
education group increased by 0.01, thus, the differences of mean change were statistically significant (p<0.05). The differences of mean change of
fasting blood glucose and biochemical indices after home-visiting
nutrition education were studied.
Fasting blood glucose decreased by 7.6 mg/dL in the
education group; however, in the non-
education group which increased by 0.4 mg/dL, the difference of mean change was not significant (p=0.051). The above findings suggest that home visiting
nutrition education increases the
nutrition knowledge and
nutrition attitude, as well as, it is effective to change
dietary habits. If the
education period is extended, not
fasting blood glucose improvement was insignificant, but
fasting blood glucose improvement
ability could be found by changing
dietary habits.