Nutrition knowledge, beliefs and dietary habits among elderly people in Nizwa, Oman: implications for policy.

The nutritional needs of the ageing population require special attention. We undertook a cross-sectional, community-based, household survey in Nizwa wilayat, Oman to study nutrition-related knowledge and beliefs and self-reported dietary habits among a sample of elderly people. The response rate for the household interview was 99.3% from a total sample of 2041. About 45% of the elderly were overweight or obese. Overall we found poor knowledge of nutrition plus some nutritional imbalances and low levels of physical activity. Significant sex differences existed in elderly peoples' nutritional knowledge, consumption of fluids, milk and sweets, use of dietary regimens and experience of appetite change. The findings warrant reorientation of the existing health promotion strategy for the elderly.