OBJECTIVE: To evaluate an educational nutrition intervention developed for students of the Open Universities for the Third Age. METHODS: The studied population was constituted by 44 individuals, 45 years of age or older, who attend four teaching institutions in São Paulo County. The general plan consisted of a quasi-experimental study of the kind pre/test and post/test verifications, with no control group. The educational actions consisted of four three-hour classes, and the distribution of a study outline with the classes' contents and a food-guide with general information. Such actions were included as part of the activities offered by the institutions and were developed by nutritionists during the second term of 1996. The personal data and knowledge about nutrition were gathered through a self-applied questionnaire. The knowledge was verified applying specially elaborated test. The alimentary practices, verified through a three-day food diary, had the following variables analyzed: total energetic value, macronutrient proportion, cholesterol, vitamin A, calcium and iron content. RESULTS: For this group of individuals, the identified modifications were: the increased knowledge about nutrition and a decreased consumption of lipids, proteins and cholesterol. Such modifications referred to the kind of food consumed, amount of water ingestion, and ways of preparing foods. These alterations were motivated by for health reasons, and the most mentioned information sources were the Open University and the personal physician CONCLUSION: On account of the educational activity, and in spite of the study limitations, the results showed a positive trend in diet modification and increased knowledge about nutrition.
diet; nutrition education; aged; adult health; public health; health services for the aged
