Adequate Protein Intake Per Meal and Physical Disability in Mexican Adults Aged 60 Years and Older

Adequate Protein Intake Per Meal and Physical Disability in Mexican Adults Aged 60 Years and Older

This study sought to determine if the number of meals per day with an adequate protein content (defined as eating >30 g protein or >0.4 g protein/kg body mass each) is associated with presenting physical disability in Mexican adults aged 60 years and older. Physical disability was evaluated with self-reported questionnaires for different activities of daily living.

Detailed dietary information was obtained for each participant to estimate dietary protein intake per meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner). One meal was considered with adequate protein content if it contained >30 g or >0.4 g/kg. Then, the number of meals with an adequate protein content was counted and classified as Zero meals, One meal, or Two or Three meals.

Physical disability was assessed with two validated questionnaires. One for instrumental activities of daily living (Lawton) and another for activities of daily living (Barthel). Disability was classified for each questionnaire item according to the authors' scales. Most items considered a physical disability if the participant reported any difficulty performing that task.

To analyze the association between the number of meals with adequate protein content (predictive variable) and physical disability (outcome variable), we used binomial logistic regression for each item. For the number of meals, we set the group of Zero meals as the reference. The analyses were adjusted for age, BMI categories, number of diagnosed diseases, sex, and inadequate protein intake per day (<1.2 g/kg/d).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Subjects able to stand up and walk independently or with walking sticks only.
• Subjects able to answer questionnaires independently or with minimum caregivers' assistance.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects reporting any kind of hospitalization within the last year.