Knowledge, Attitude, and Food Consumption Behavior of the Elderly in Songkhla Province

Abstract

     The objectives of this research were to study the elderly in Songkhla province: 1) to investigate their level of knowledge of, attitude toward, and behavior toward food consumption; and 2) to examine the relationships among their knowledge of, attitude toward, and behavior toward food consumption. A questionnaire was employed to gather data from 400 elderly people selected by multi-stage random sampling. Data were analyzed by percentage, mean, Pearson product moment correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression using a statistical software package. The findings revealed that about three quarters of the elderly were female with an average age of 67.03 years, earned 9,012.27 baht monthly and half of them suffered from overnutrition. Most of the elderly’s knowledge of and attitude toward food consumption were at a good level whereas half of the elderly’s food consumption behavior was at a moderate level. Knowledge of, attitude toward, and behavior toward food consumption were positively and highly statistically significant correlated. The stepwise multiple regression showed that “avoid salty food”, “consuming brown rice”, “eating legumes”, “avoid fatty meat”, “eating rice as the main food”, and “eating five food groups” were positively correlated with and influenced food consumption behavior, while “avoid seafood” was negatively correlated with and statistically significantly influenced food consumption behavior. In addition, attitudinal aspects that positively correlated with and influenced food consumption behavior were “avoid fatty meat”, “consuming brown rice”, “drinking skim milk”, “eating rice as the main food”, “avoid alcoholic beverage”, and “avoid salty food” whereas “avoid food with chemical” and “drinking milk regularly” were negatively correlated with and statistically significantly influenced food consumption behavior.