ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the malnutrition status among the elderly in age care institutions in Shanghai suburb and analyze its potential influential factors.Methods The MiniNutritional Assessment (MNA) was adopted to evaluate the nutritional status of the 190 elderly people in age care institutions.The dietary supply by the institution canteen and the quantity of residual food left by the malnourished elderly people were weighted.Results In the age care institutions,the malnutrition rate reached 23.7％,47.9％ of the elderly people were at the risk of malnutrition,and only 28.4％ of the elderly people were well nourished.Logistic regression analysis showed that the major influential factors for malnutrition in the elderly people were food intake ability,mobile capability,chewing and swallowing ability,ageing and mental Illness.The malnourished elderly people had the most residual meat and vegetables,and insufficiency of nutrient intake was the main cause for the malnutrition in the elderly people.Conclusions The elderly people in age care institutions in Shanghai suburb have the higher risk of malnutrition.The malnutrition occurs under influence of many factors,of which some are unavoidable,however,some factors like dietary factors can be changed to improve the nutritional status of the elderly people in age care institutions.