Gender Differences in Nutritional Quality of Life of Young and Old Adults.

Abstract

Background: Healthy eating is essential for individuals’ physical as well as psychological wellbeing. Women’s focus on achieving thin ideal physique and men’s aspiration for muscular body is likely to impact their food intake and consequently Nutritional Quality of Life (NQoL). Moreover, NQoL varies across different age groups owing to the varying nutritional needs with increasing age. Investigating NQoL across gender and age has useful implications for health counseling and practice.
Objectives| To investigate differences in nutritional quality of life among gender and different age groups. To investigate gender and age group differences in knowledge of nutritional value of food.
Methodology| A descriptive cross-sectional research was conducted. The sample consisted of 200 participants i.e., 100 younger adults between age range of 18-23 years and 100 older adults between age range of 40-60 years. Gender of participants was equally represented in both age groups. Nutritional Quality of Life (NQoL) Instrument and a self-developed Nutritional Knowledge Questionnaire were administered on the sample to collect data.
Results| Mean age of younger adults was 19.17 ± 1.18 and for older adults it was 48.17 ± 5.20. Findings showed that women scored significantly higher on psychological factor and social impact whereas men scored significantly higher on food impact and self-efficacy impact of NQoL. Moreover younger adults scored higher on self-efficacy than older adults and older adults scored higher on food impact, social impact, psychological factor and physical functioning than younger adults. Also interaction of gender and age was significant regarding knowledge of nutritional value of food; older women and younger men had more knowledge of nutritional value of food than younger women and older men.
Conclusions| There were significant differences in nutritional quality of life. Also knowledge of nutritional value of food varied across gender and age groups.