Abstract:

Introduction: The growth of the elderly in the population is remarkable, affecting the expansion of these individuals residing in long-term institutions for the elderly. The present study aimed to verify the relationship between nutritional status, food frequency and level of physical activity in institutionalized elderly. Material and methods: it was performed an epidemiological observatory Cohort study in Long Term Nursing Homes for the Elderly in the city of Caxias do Sul-RS. The sampling was selected through a nonprobabilistic convenience method. Therefore, the possible associations to the variables were drawn using the Chi-square test. Results and discussion: There was a significant correlation between the Calf Skinfold Measurement (CSM) and the Body Max Index (BMI) in relation to the BMI and Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM) when faced with the level of physical activity, where 94,34% of the overweight elderly had an SMM > 6,37 kg/m² and 31,62% of the overweight women were classified as irregularly active B. The most frequently consumed foods by the elderly were rice and beans. Conclusion: It is concluded that the most of elderly presented good muscular reserve and eutrophic or overweight, low consumption of protein foods and low level of physical activity. This demonstrates the importance of the nutrition professional in the Institutions.

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