Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3, Theme 10.
Lifelong Nutrition. Focus on older adults
Coordinator
Identification of areas in Italy, based on existing databank, in order to: a) assess the populations at higher risk of over- and under-nutrition b) select the strategic partners to meet and educate the at-risk population (schools, recreative centres, churches, other associations) in connection with Spoke 7.
Analysis of existing data on food consumption, lifestyle and biochemical/genetic parameters in Italian population groups along the lifecycle: elaboration of available datasets providing information on eating and lifestyle habits, accessibility, drivers and barriers towards a healthy diet of defined groups (children, adolescents, adults, pregnant women, older subjects) in connection with Spoke 1.
Assessment of energy requirements in adults and elderly and evaluation of the validity of different predictive equations used to estimate resting energy expenditure vs. a gold standard (wearable metabolic technology, indirect calorimetry combined with accelerometry) in adults and elderly population.
Definition of protein requirements changes with advancing age (in adults and elderly subjects) and analysis of nutritional characteristics of unconventional protein sources (e.g., grains, pseudo-grains, pulses, algae, fungi) in connection with Spoke 3, 4 and 6.
Identify key sociodemographic and psychosocial factors associated with adherence to the Mediterranean diet in adults and free-living older adults throughout Italy, and also detecting individual-level and environmental barriers that may affect this age group engaging in consistent healthful dietary habits in connection with Spoke 1 (e.g., social isolation, low-income, neighbourhoods with high rates of poverty, poor nutrition literacy).
Define questionnaires for investigating nutritional status according with age (M6)
Provide a geographical map of areas comparing economical advantaged areas with peripheral areas in big cities (M24)
Provide a comparison between urban and non-urban areas (M30)
Proposal of a questionnaire for consumers (M12)
Report on national food consumption accessibility, drivers, and barriers towards a healthy diet of defined groups (M32)
Report on needs and constraints of different population groups (M36)
Definition of energy requirements in older adults considering REE and physical activity to maintain fat free mass (M24)
Protocols and schemes for predictive equations to estimate REE in adults and elderly (M36)
Protocols for the definition of protein requirements in older adults (M12)
Classification of unconventional protein sources based on nutritional characteristics, safety, and sensory properties (M18)
Targeted behavioral interventions promoting healthy eating among older people (M36)
Nutritional status of older adults is determined by physiological, socioeconomic and psychological changes occurring at older age. The elderly populations are more vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies due to a combination of factors, from physiological changes or deterioration of functions, such as appetite loss, changes in taste and drug–nutrient interactions, to social and economic factors such as income, living circumstances and lifestyle. Psychological factors such as depression and cognitive impairment, within environmental factors, may contribute to a higher nutritional risk.
The phenotype of older adults at risk of malnutrition through a multi-parametric model including social, cultural, clinical, psychological and functional determinants needs to be better defined. The definition of energy and nutrient (in particular protein) requirements are still under debate together with the identification of biomarkers of nutritional risk.
Identification of areas in Italy, based on existing databank, in order to assess the nutritional risk in older adults.
Analysis of existing data on food consumption, lifestyle (accessibility, drivers and barriers towards a healthy diet) and biochemical/genetic parameters in Italian older adults in order to provide educational campaigns to correct erroneous behaviour.
Definition of protein requirements changes with advancing age (in adults and elderly subject) and analysis of nutritional characteristics of unconventional protein sources (e.g. grains, pseudo-grains, pulses, algae, fungi) and their capacity to hinder age related physiological loss of fat free mass.
Assessment of energy requirements in older adults and evaluation of the validity of different predictive equations used to estimate resting energy expenditure vs. a gold standard (wearable metabolic technology, indirect calorimetry combined with accelerometry) in this population.
Investigations on selected cohorts for the validation of biomarkers of nutritional risk (including microbiome biomarkers) in a real-life and life-long environment with a special focus on biomarkers of adherence to dietary recommendations.
The aim of the project will be:
to assess the prevalence of risk for malnutrition in older adults;
to analyse the existing data on food consumption, lifestyle (accessibility, drivers and barriers towards a healthy diet) and biochemical/genetic parameters in Italian older adults in order to provide educational campaigns to correct erroneous behaviour;
to better define protein and energy requirements in older adults verifying the opportunity to refer to unconventional protein sources (e.g., grains, pseudo-grains, pulses, algae, fungi) to hinder age related physiological loss of fat free mass;
to select and validate biomarkers of nutritional risk (including microbiome biomarkers) in a real-life and life-long environment with a special focus on biomarkers of adherence to dietary recommendations.
