Nutritional status and well being. Is there a relationship between body mass index and the well-being of older people?

Poor nutritional status may impair well being indirectly as a consequence of increased morbidity and decline in functional status. The aim of this study was to examine the independent effect of body mass index on the well being of older people. Thirty one hospital-based patients over 65 years of age were studied. Well being was assessed using the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS)--anglicised version. Body mass index and well being were assessed on admission to hospital and at three months. At follow-up, a significant correlation was observed between body mass index and PGCMS values. Further analysis showed that this relationship was linear, with poor nutritional status being associated with low levels of well being and good nutritional status being associated with the highest levels of well being. High or low body mass index was able to predict the PGCMS score with a poor sensitivity of 44% and specificity of 96%. When the contribution of potential confounding variables was analysed, body mass was found to have no significant independent effect on well being. Instead, the presence of depression was the most powerful predictor of levels of well being. In conclusion, this study has demonstrated that nutritional status, as indicated by body mass index, has no detectable independent effect on well being. However, measurement of nutritional status may still have a role in the assessment of well being, in that, while the finding of a low body mass index cannot be taken as indicative of low levels of well being, the finding of a high body mass index is likely to indicate adequate well being. Further studies, however, are required in this area that would involve larger numbers of subjects and alternative measures of nutritional status and well being.

Producing physicians for south Texas.

South Texas, one of the fastest growing regions in the country, remains among the most medically underserved, in part, because few students from South Texas enter medical school. To address this issue and to increase the diversity of the matriculant pool, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and The University of Texas-Pan American (UT-PA) established in 1994 the Premedical Honors College (PHC), a rigorous undergraduate program at UT-PA for students from South Texas high schools. Students who complete all PHC requirements and BCM prerequisites are accepted into BCM upon graduation from UT-PA. Those in good standing receive counseling, enrichment experiences, and tuition and fee waivers from UT-PA and BCM. The program is increasing the number of students from South Texas universities matriculating into medical school, and is expanding the involvement of local physicians in undergraduate education, heightening visibility for partner institutions, and becoming an effective, replicable bachelor of science/doctor of medicine model.