RESUMO
The relationships between nutrition, aging, and quality of life [QOL] are inter-related. This work aimed at studying the relationship between the nutritional status and QOL in the elderly; also, the association between comorbidities, socio-demography, life style, and their QOL. The study was conducted during the year 2004 from April to June, in a village at Gharbia Governorate. It included 303 elderly with a mean age of 67.15 +/- 7.54. Data were collected using a questionnaire sheet that included [1] socio-demographic and life style factors, [2] assessment and grading of the nutritional status using the [MNA] Mini-Nutritional Assessment form, and [3] measuring the QOL using [MOS] Medical Outcome Study 36-item short form [SF-36]. The study showed that 12.87% of the elderly were malnourished and 19.8% were of poor QOL. Poor nutritional status was significantly associated with low score of QOL [X4[2]=64.27] and with most of the dimensions of the QOL form such as physical functioning and mental health status [X2[2]= 64.73 and X2[2]=40.03, respectively]. Factors that affected food intake such as lack of appetite, GIT problems, and teeth problems were significantly affecting the QOL among the studied sample. The more the number of chronic diseases among the elderly, the lower was the score of QOL [R[s] =-0.6, P<0.05]. Poor QOL associated significantly with advanced age [40.23%], with male sex [29.17%], widowhood [36.36%], living alone [42.11%], and with restricted mobility [29.84%]. The study recommended the use of QOL measures before and after nutritional programs interventions among the elderly as screening tools for improving management of the nutritional status