Study on the Relationship Between Nutritional Awareness and Dietary Behavior of Thai Muslim Older Adults in Watthana District, Bangkok

Objectives: This study investigates the relationship between nutritional awareness and dietary behavior among Thai-Muslim older adults in the Watthana district of Bangkok. Methods: Utilizing a cross-sectional design, we sampled 400 individuals aged 60 and above (mean age = 68.70±5.64 years) through simple random sampling across five communities. The study is framed within the Mixed Model of Emotional Intelligence, focusing on emotional awareness, accurate self-assessment, and self-confidence as key components. Data were collected through structured interviews and analyzed using Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression techniques. Results: Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between emotional awareness, accurate self-assessment, self-confidence, and dietary behavior, with correlation coefficients of 0.29, 0.55, and 0.57, respectively (p<0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis further identified that the constant (β = 2.00), accurate self-assessment (β=0.21, p<0.01), and self-confidence (β=0.22, p<0.01) were significant predictors of improved dietary behaviors. Conclusions: The findings of this study underscore the critical role of emotional awareness, accurate self-assessment, and self-confidence in shaping dietary behaviors among older adults. These factors were significantly associated with healthier dietary patterns (p<0.01). Based on these results, it is recommended that targeted educational interventions aimed at enhancing emotional intelligence and self-assessment skills could play a pivotal role in improving dietary behaviors and overall health outcomes for older adults in this population.