[Prevalence of malnutrition and factors related to it in the elderly subjects in Khorasan Razavi province, Iran, 2006]

ABSTRACT

Malnutrition is a very common clinical disorder risk factor in elderly people, which is not diagnosed in most cases and, therefore, remains untreated. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of malnutrition in free-living elderly people and its relationship with socioeconomic factors [SEF] in the elderly subjects in Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran. To assess the nutritional status of the free-living elderly people [n=2000 using cluster sampling, 917 male/1045 female, aged >/= 60], the standard Mini Nutritional Assessment [MNA] was used. Socio-economic information was obtained through interviews. In 42.7% of the subjects the nutritional status was satisfactory, 12.0% were malnourished, and the remaining 45.3% were at risk of malnutrition. The MNA score was associated with some of the SEF, and the proportions of malnourished subjects were higher in females, rural subjects, the illiterate, subjects living alone, and the unemployed. Prevalence of central obesity in females and males was 63.1% and 18.6%, respectively. The findings of this study are alarming. The government, physicians, and nutrition experts need to be aware of the problem and its dimenensions. Nutritional status was associated with some socio-economic factors. In particular, problems such as loneliness and poverty have to be addressed