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Abstract

How Can Older Consumers Become More Conscious of an Optimal Protein Intake—Outcomes of the ConsuBETER Study †

by
Joost O. Linschooten
1,*,
Marije H. Verwijs
2,
Marian A. E. de van der Schueren
3,4 and
Annet J. C. Roodenburg
1
1
Department of Food & Industry, HAS University of Applied Sciences, 5223 DE Den Bosch, The Netherlands
2
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Center of Expertise Urban Vitality, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, 1067 SM Amsterdam, The Netherlands
3
Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Lifestyle, HAN University of Applied Sciences, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
4
Department of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Presented at the 14th European Nutrition Conference FENS 2023, Belgrade, Serbia, 14–17 November 2023.
Proceedings 2023, 91(1), 85; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091085
Published: 24 November 2023
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 14th European Nutrition Conference FENS 2023)
Versions Notes

The number of people that are 65 years and older living at home in the Netherlands is increasing. A healthy diet with sufficient protein supports their health and vitality. Our aim was to make older adults more aware of the importance of an optimal protein intake and to gain insight in how to support them in making the right choices. In this 2-year project, several studies were carried out to characterise the needs and preferences of the population, to calculate potential food intake scenarios, and to determine the influence of behaviour on protein intake. Qualitative studies with interviews show that many older adults do not want to change their current dietary behaviour and are unaware of the need for a higher protein intake. The participants underestimated the important role of dietitians. However, they were unable to properly estimate their current daily protein intake [1]. Different protein intake scenarios were calculated using the Dutch food consumption survey, in which regular food products were replaced by products (1) with a higher natural protein content, (2) enriched with protein, or (3) a combination of protein-rich and protein-enriched products. This theoretical approach showed that it is possible to increase protein intake (>1.0 g/kg bw/day) without a significant increase in the amount of food consumed [2]. We also studied different aspects of behaviour which influence the protein intake of older adults living at home. A total of 824 Dutch older adults living at home completed an online questionnaire on the influence of behavioural factors on dietary behaviour. Behaviour was characterized by the IChange model [3], and dietary behaviour was expressed as a risk on low protein intake, as determined by the ProteinScreener55+ [4]. The results show that mainly ‘knowledge’ and ‘social interaction’ were identified as independent determinants of elderly dietary behaviour [5]. Altogether, these data show the importance of dietary behaviour aspects such as knowledge and social interaction to optimise protein intake. They also show the opportunities to further improve protein intake. Our next question would be how to conduct this study in a sustainable way.

Author Contributions

J.O.L. presented the abstract. J.O.L., M.H.V., M.A.E.d.v.d.S. and A.J.C.R. wrote the abstract and analysed the data. All authors collaborated in the project and were involved in funding acquisition. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

Taskforce for Applied Research (RAAK.MKB09.003), part of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), financed by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The consortium behind the present study involves several universities (of applied sciences), research institutes and food companies. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, interpretation of data, or in the decision to publish the results.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Ethical and legal advice was obtained from the HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. It was judged not to fall within the remit of the Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO) and ethical clearance was provided by the review board. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. All participants were informed to consult their general practitioner and/or a dietician in case of a high chance of a low protein intake and received a flyer from the Dutch Malnutrition Steering Group with additional information.

Informed Consent Statement

Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Data Availability Statement

Anonymized data can be made available upon request from the corresponding author. Due to privacy and ethical restrictions, data are not publicly available.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

  1. Linschooten, J.O.; Verwijs, M.H.; Beelen, J.; de van der Schueren, M.A.E.; Roodenburg, A.J.C. Low awareness of community-dwelling older adults on the importance of dietary protein: New insights from 4 qualitative studies. J. Nutr. Sci. 2021, 10, e102. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  2. Verwijs, M.H.; de van der Schueren, M.A.E.; Ocké, M.; Ditewig, J.; Linschooten, J.O.; Roodenburg, A.J.C.; De Groot, L.C.P.G.M. The protein gap—increasing protein intake in the diet of community-dwelling older adults: A simulation study. Public Health Nutr. 2022, 25, 248–256. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  3. de Vries, H. An Integrated Approach for Understanding Health Behavior; The I-Change Model as an Example. Psychol. Behav. Sci.Int. J. 2017, 2, 555585. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  4. Wijnhoven, H.A.H.; Elstgeest, L.E.M.; de Vet, H.C.W.; Nicolaou, M.; Snijder, M.B.; Visser, M. Development and validation of a short food questionnaire to screen for low protein intake in community-dwelling older adults: The Protein Screener 55+ (Pro55+). PLoS ONE 2018, 13, e0196406. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  5. Verwijs, M.H.; Haveman-Nies, A.; Borkent, J.W.; Linschooten, J.O.; Roodenburg, A.J.C.; de Groot, L.C.P.G.M.; de van der Schueren, M.A.E. Protein Intake among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Influence of (Pre-) Motivational Determinants. Nutrients 2022, 14, 293. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
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Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Linschooten, J.O.; Verwijs, M.H.; de van der Schueren, M.A.E.; Roodenburg, A.J.C. How Can Older Consumers Become More Conscious of an Optimal Protein Intake—Outcomes of the ConsuBETER Study. Proceedings 2023, 91, 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091085

AMA Style

Linschooten JO, Verwijs MH, de van der Schueren MAE, Roodenburg AJC. How Can Older Consumers Become More Conscious of an Optimal Protein Intake—Outcomes of the ConsuBETER Study. Proceedings. 2023; 91(1):85. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091085

Chicago/Turabian Style

Linschooten, Joost O., Marije H. Verwijs, Marian A. E. de van der Schueren, and Annet J. C. Roodenburg. 2023. "How Can Older Consumers Become More Conscious of an Optimal Protein Intake—Outcomes of the ConsuBETER Study" Proceedings 91, no. 1: 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091085

APA Style

Linschooten, J. O., Verwijs, M. H., de van der Schueren, M. A. E., & Roodenburg, A. J. C. (2023). How Can Older Consumers Become More Conscious of an Optimal Protein Intake—Outcomes of the ConsuBETER Study. Proceedings, 91(1), 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2023091085

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