Factores asociados al riesgo de desnutrición en mujeres mayoresen comunidades de bajos ingresos / Factors associated to risk of malnutrition amongst elderly women in low-income communities

ABSTRACT

Objective: The present study aimed to identify the prevalence and the factors associated with the risk ofmalnutrition in elderly women.Methods: The study deals with a cross-sectional design, with a sample of 222 women in the age group from 60to 96 years of age. An interview was carried out containing socio-demographic variables, clinical conditions, and behavioral aspects. The statistical analysis was accomplished via calculation of the respective prevalence ratios (PR) in the Poisson regression, p<0.05. Results: A prevalence of 33.8% (n=75) of women, considered with a malnutrition risk or undernourished, which started from the hierarchical multivariate analysis, was identified. A significant association with the age group ranging from 70 to 79 years of age (PR=2.1; CI 95% 1.3-6.7), low education level (PR=3.1; CI 95% 1.0-11,6), living with otherpeople (PR=2.0; CI 95% 1.0-4.6), the presence of depressive symptomatology (PR=2.1; CI 95% 1.0-7.1), absenceof administration of medication (PR=3.0; CI 95% 1.1-7.6), having had some food privation along their lives (PR=3.1; CI 95% 1.3-9.6), and with less than 75% of the time of physical activity in their leisure time (PR=2.0; CI 95% 1.0-4.7) were found.Conclusion: There is a high percentage of elderly women in situation of malnutrition risk, and the associatedfactors to the condition suggests a complex causal net in the determination of the nutritional state.