AVALIAÇÃO DO CONHECIMENTO SOBRE NUTRIÇÃO E A EFICÁCIA DOS MÉTODOS DE EDUCAÇÃO ALIMENTAR EM ALUNAS DO PROJETO UNIS SÊNIOR NA CIDADE DE VARGINHA - MG

Abstract

The number of elderly people has been increasing rapidly in recent years, representing about 10% of the population and might reach 20% by 2050. Individuals in this age group need more health services, and the promotion of quality of life is essential Educational interventions can positively contribute to a healthy aging. promoting knowledge, social interaction and the exchange of experiences. The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge related to nutrition and the efficacy of nutritional education strategies applied in the elderly. The population consisted of 18 participants aged 60 or over, all of them members of the Unis Senior Project developed by the University Center of the South of Minas Gerais. The study was designed to compare nutritional knowledge by applying the nutritional knowledge scale before and after educational interventions based on food, nutrition and health activities According to the analyzed variables, in the pre-intervention period the students obtained an average score of 7.77 1.98 points (ranging from 4.0 to 12.0 points), and in the post-test the mean was 9.44 1.16 points (ranging from 8.0 to 12.0 points) Interventions have been shown to be effective in increasing knowledge about nutrition and health, showing that they can provide autonomy, helping the elderly to make decisions related to health and nutrition.