Nutrition of elderly men living alone. I. Intakes of energy and nutrients.

The energy and nutrient intakes of 35 men aged 70 years and over, living alone at home, were studied using five-day records. The mean energy intake was 1628 (SD 545) kcal/day. Protein and calcium intakes were generally adequate, but 60% of the old men took less than 10mg of iron per day. Intakes of vitamin C were below 15 mg/day in 34%. Thirty-four percent took less than 0.8 mg thiamine daily. Intakes of vitamin A and riboflavin were, in general, adequate, except for a small number of subjects. It is concluded that about one-third of the men had deficient vitamin C or thiamine intakes.