Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Seasonal variation and diet quality among Spanish people aged over 55 years

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

There is evidence supporting the importance of a healthy diet; however, there are few studies analyzing the seasonal variation of food intake. The present study was aimed to evaluate seasonal variation of food and energy intake in Spanish elderly also to investigate diet quality based on the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score. From a cross-sectional study, 28 individuals (39% males) aged over 55 years volunteered for a longitudinal follow-up. Dietary assessment was evaluated through 24-h dietary recalls. Energy and nutrient intake were calculated using DIAL software. Furthermore, diet quality was measured using HEI. Data was analyzed considering the interaction of sex, age, fitness status, and body composition. Cereals intake was significantly lower in summer than in winter and autumn (both p < 0.05); whereas, drinks intake was significantly higher in summer than in winter, spring, and autumn (all p < 0.01). Daily energy intake was significant higher in spring than in summer, and in autumn than in summer (p < 0.05), and energy intake from lunch was also statistically higher in spring than in summer (p < 0.01). The HEI was classified as good; however, a negative and significant association was observed between HEI and cholesterol, alcohol, and monounsaturated fatty acids intake (p < 0.01). Cereals and drinks intake and total daily energy intake changed according to seasons. This should be considered in nutritional studies. Diet quality seems not to be affected by these seasonal changes, and HEI did not show a good association with the majority of foods and macro- and micronutrients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Beulens JW, Bindels JG, de Graaf C, Alles MS, Wouters-Wesseling W (2004) Alpha-lactalbumin combined with a regular diet increases plasma Trp–LNAA ratio. Physiol Behav 81(4):585–593. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2004.02.027

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Brown KH (1984) Measurement of dietary intake. In: Mosley WH, Chen LC (eds) Population and development review. Child Survival. Strategies for Research. New York, The population Council, Inc., pp 69–91

  3. Brown KH, Black RE, Becker S (1982) Seasonal changes in nutritional status and the prevalence of malnutrition in a longitudinal study of young children in rural Bangladesh. Am J Clin Nutr 36(2):303–313

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Brown KH, Black RE, Robertson AD, Becker S (1985) Effects of season and illness on the dietary intake of weanlings during longitudinal studies in rural Bangladesh. Am J Clin Nutr 41(2):343–355

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Cairney J, Krause N (2008) Negative life events and age-related decline in mastery: are older adults more vulnerable to the control-eroding effect of stress? J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 63(3):S162–S170. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/63.3.S162

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Capita R, Alonso-Calleja C (2005) Differences in reported winter and summer dietary intakes in young adults in Spain. Int J Food Sci Nutr 56(6):431–443. https://doi.org/10.1080/09637480500407875

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Castell GS, Serra-Majem L, Ribas-Barba L (2015) What and how much do we eat? 24-hour dietary recall method. Nutr Hosp 31(Supl 3):46–48

    Google Scholar 

  8. de Castro JM (1991) Seasonal rhythms of human nutrient intake and meal pattern. Physiol Behav 50(1):243–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(91)90527-U

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Fahey MT, Sasaki S, Kobayashi M, Akabane M, Tsugane S (2003) Seasonal misclassification error and magnitude of true between-person variation in dietary nutrient intake: a random coefficients analysis and implications for the Japan Public Health Center (JPHC) cohort study. Public Health Nutr 6(4):385–391. https://doi.org/10.1079/PHN2002438

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Freedman LS, Guenther PM, Krebs-Smith SM, Dodd KW, Midthune D (2010) A population’s distribution of Healthy Eating Index-2005 component scores can be estimated when more than one 24-hour recall is available. J Nutr 140(8):1529–1534. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.110.124594

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Gil A, Martínez de Victoria E, Olza J (2015) Indicadores de evaluación de la dieta. Nutr Hosp 31(Supl. 3):128–144

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Jéquier E (1994) Carbohydrates as a source of energy. Am J Clin Nutr 59(3 Suppl):682S–685S

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Kennedy E, Ohls J, Carlson S, Fleming K (1995) The healthy eating index: design and applications. J Am Diet Assoc 95(10):1103–1108. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-8223(95)00300-2

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kräuchi K, Wirz-Justice A (1988) The four seasons: food intake frequency in seasonal affective disorder in the course of a year. Psychiatry Res 25(3):323–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-1781(88)90102-3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Malisova O, Bountziouka V, Zampelas A, Kapsokefalou M (2015) Evaluation of drinks contribution to energy intake in summer and winter. Nutrients 7(5):3724–3738. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7053724

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Malisova O, Bountziouka V, Panagiotakos D, Zampelas A, Kapsokefalou M (2013) Evaluation of seasonality on total water intake, water loss and water balance in the general population in Greece. J Hum Nutr Diet 26(s1):90–96. https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12077

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Matheson GJ, Schain M, Almeida R, Lundberg J, Cselényi Z, Borg J, Varrone A, Farde L, Cervenka S (2015) Diurnal and seasonal variation of the brain serotonin system in healthy male subjects. NeuroImage 112:225–231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.03.007

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Mathers JC (2013) Nutrition and ageing: knowledge, gaps and research priorities. Proc Nutr Soc 72(2):246–250. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665112003023

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Ortega RM, López-Sabater AM, Andrés P, Requejo AM, Aparicio A, Molinero LM (2016) DIAL software for assessing diets and food calculations (for Windows, version X). Department of Nutrition (UCM) & Alce Ingeniería, S.L. Madrid, Spain. Available at: http://www.alceingenieria.net/nutricion/descarga.htm. Accessed [01/05/2016]

  20. Pedrero-Chamizo R, Gomez-Cabello A, Delgado S, Rodríguez-Llanera S, Rodríguez-Marroyo JA, Cabanillas E et al (2012) Physical fitness levels among independent non-institutionalized Spanish elderly: the elderly EXERNET multi-center study. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 55(2):406–416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2012.02.004

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Plasqui G, Kester AD, Westerterp KR (2003) Seasonal variation in sleeping metabolic rate, thyroid activity, and leptin. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 285(2):E338–E343. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.00488.2002

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Rikli R, Jones CJ (2001) Senior fitness test manual. United States, Human Kinetics

    Google Scholar 

  23. Rossato SL, Olinto MTA, Henn RL, LAd A, Bressan AW, Wahrlich V (2010) Seasonal effect on nutrient intake in adults living in Southern Brazil. Cadernos de Saúde Pública 26(11):2177–2187. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0102-311X2010001100019

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Rossato S, Olinto M, Henn R, Moreira L, Camey S, Anjos L et al (2015) Seasonal variation in food intake and the interaction effects of sex and age among adults in southern Brazil. Eur J Clin Nutr 69(9):1015–1022. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2015.22

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Savoca MR, Arcury TA, Leng X, Bell RA, Chen H, Anderson A, Kohrman T, Quandt SA (2009) The diet quality of rural older adults in the south as measured by healthy eating index-2005 varies by ethnicity. J Am Diet Assoc 109(12):2063–2067. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2009.09.005

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Stelmach-Mardas M, Kleiser C, Uzhova I, Peñalvo JL, La Torre G, Palys W, Lojko D, Nimptsch K, Suwalska A, Linseisen J, Saulle R, Colamesta V, Boeing H (2016) Seasonality of food groups and total energy intake: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Clin Nutr 70(6):700–708. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2015.224

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Topping D (2007) Cereal complex carbohydrates and their contribution to human health. J Cereal Sci 46(3):220–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2007.06.004

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Van Staveren WA, Deurenberg P, Burema J, De Groot LC, Hautvast JG (1986) Seasonal variation in food intake, pattern of physical activity and change in body weight in a group of young adult Dutch women consuming self-selected diets. Int J Obes 10(2):133–145

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. VV.AA (1998) Eurofit para adultos: Evaluación de la aptitud física en relación con la salud, Primera edn. CSD, Madrid

  30. Wang Y, Beydoun MA (2009) Meat consumption is associated with obesity and central obesity among US adults. Int J Obes 33(6):621–628. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2009.45

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Westerterp KR, Plasqui G, Goris AH (2005) Water loss as a function of energy intake, physical activity and season. Br J Nutr 93(02):199–203. https://doi.org/10.1079/BJN20041310

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. United Nations. Department of Economic and Social Affairs. World population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. Available http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/population/2015-report.html. Accessed 15 July 2016

  33. Healthy diet (2015) World Health Organization, Geneve. Available http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/nutrientrequirements/healthydiet_factsheet394.pdf. Accessed 1 July 2016

  34. Gil A, Martinez de Victoria E, Olza J (2015) Indicators for the evaluation of the diet quality. Nutr Hosp 26(Suppl 3):128–144. https://doi.org/10.3305/nh.2015.31.sup3.8761

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to all of the subjects who took part in the PHYSMED study and to all researchers who set up the data for further analysis.

Funding

The PHYSMED study took place with the financial support of the Spanish Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI11/01791), CIBEROBN (CB12/03/30038), and European Hydration Institute (E131115081). Raquel Aparicio-Ugarriza is supported with a predoctoral grant from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ImFINE Research Group, Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Science-INEF, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, C/Martin Fierro no. 7, E-28040, Madrid, Spain

    R. Aparicio-Ugarriza, C. Rumi, R. Luzardo-Socorro, J. Mielgo-Ayuso, G. Palacios & M. González-Gross

  2. CIBEROBN (Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition CB12/03/30038), Madrid, Spain

    G. Palacios, M. M. Bibiloni, E. Argelich, J. A. Tur & M. González-Gross

  3. Research Group on Community Nutrition and Oxidative Stress (NUCOX), University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

    M. M. Bibiloni, A. Julibert, E. Argelich & J. A. Tur

Authors
  1. R. Aparicio-Ugarriza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. Rumi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. Luzardo-Socorro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. Mielgo-Ayuso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. G. Palacios
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. M. M. Bibiloni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. A. Julibert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. E. Argelich
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. J. A. Tur
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. M. González-Gross
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. González-Gross.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

This article forms part of a special issue of the Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry entitled “Impact of lifestyles patterns on human health: Integrated approach from the child to the elderly.”

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Aparicio-Ugarriza, R., Rumi, C., Luzardo-Socorro, R. et al. Seasonal variation and diet quality among Spanish people aged over 55 years. J Physiol Biochem 74, 179–188 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13105-017-0599-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13105-017-0599-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation