ABSTRACT
@#Introduction: COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus spreading rapidly over the globe, and the older population has had a larger impact as the fatality rate increases with age. This pandemic caused them to reduce their physical activity (PA). COVID-19 also resulted in food supply disruption and led to unhealthy dietary changes, which are usually associated with weight gain and affecting the body mass index (BMI). PA and BMI can influence the quality of life (QoL) of the older people. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association between PA, BMI, and QoL amongst the older people in Malaysia during COVID-19. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst community-dwelling older people from all states in Malaysia. An online survey consisting of self-reported anthropometry, Global Physical Activity Questionnaire- Malay version (GPAQ-M) and Short Form-36 Health (SF-36) Survey were collected. Statistical analysis chi-square test was used to identify the association between BMI, PA, and QoL. Results: This study included data from 180 individuals with a median age of 64.0 ± 9.8 years. The results showed that participants aged 60-69 years were significantly associated with better QoL, meanwhile, those who practice low PA levels were significantly associated with poor QoL. Conclusion: The findings revealed that age and PA were associated with QoL. Thus, the healthcare profession must emphasise regular PA to accomplish a better QoL amongst older people in the future.
ABSTRACT
@#Malnutrition and poor quality of life (QoL) in older adults are becoming a public health concern. Therefore, this review article summarised significant studies which investigated the assessment of malnutrition and QoL and its relation. A literature research on academic journals published from 2011 to 2021 was conducted by using electronic databases, which were Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct and SCOPUS. A total of 21 studies with 26,569 participants were identified and included in this review. The prevalence of malnutrition ranged from 1.6% to 26.5%, and poor QoL was significant amongst malnourished older adults. In conclusion, malnutrition is associated with poor QoL amongst older adults. Future studies regarding factors that influence malnutrition and its relation towards the QoL amongst older adults are needed as it will help in assisting the healthcare professions to combat these health problems.