Micronutrient intake in elderly living in nursing homes

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ingestion of micronutrients in elderly living in nursing homes. This is a cross-sectional study, conducted with 216 individuals of both sexes, age equal or greater than 60 years, living in nursing homes for elderly in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Direct weighing of the food was used to get food intake, and prevalence of inadequacy was obtained using the software Multiple Source Method (MSM) and evaluated by estimated average requirement (EAR). A high prevalence of inadequate intake of micronutrients was observed, being over 90% for vitamins E, folate, pyridoxine and calcium, in both sexes and between 50 and 70% for selenium, retinol, riboflavin, cyanocobalamin and vitamin C. The high prevalence of inadequate intake of micronutrients in elderly living on nursing homes observed in this study may be used for planning public health strategies aiming to improve the nutritional context of this population and their quality of life, reducing the costs of health care.