Journal Article

Prevalence of malnutrition and associated factors among community-dwelling older persons in Sri Lanka: a cross-sectional study

Moy, F. M., Damayanthi, H. D. W. T., Abdullah, K. L., Dharmaratne, S. D.

2018

Overview

Background Malnutrition in older persons is a public health concern. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition and its associated factors among community-dwelling older persons in Sri Lanka. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Kandy district, Sri Lanka. The nutritional status of older persons was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment –Short Form (MNA­SF). A standardised questionnaire was used to record factors associated with malnutrition: demographic characteristics, financial characteristics, food and appetite, lifestyle, psychological characteristics, physical characteristics, disease and care, oral health, and social factors. Complex sample multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed. Results Among the 999 participants included in the study, 748 (69.3%) were females and 251 (25.1%) were males. The mean age was 70.80 years (95% CI: 70.13, 71.47). The prevalence of malnutrition, risk of malnutrition and well-nutrition was 12.5%, 52.4% and 35.1% respectively. In the multivariate model, hypertension (adjusted OR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.02, 2.89), alcohol consumption (aOR = 4.06; 95% CI: 1.17, 14.07), and increased age (aOR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.11) were positively associated with malnutrition. An increased number of people living with the older person (aOR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.85, 0.97) was a protective factor among those at risk for malnutrition. Conclusion Both the prevalence of malnutrition and risk of malnutrition were commonly observed among community-dwelling older persons in Sri Lanka. The associated factors identified in this study might help public health professionals to implement necessary interventions that improve the nutritional status of this population.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Age / Aged / Aged, 80 and over / Aging / Alcohol / Alcohol Drinking - adverse effects / Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology / Analysis / Appetite / Bias / Cross-Sectional Studies / Diabetes / Disease / Elderly / Elderly persons / Female / Food / Food and nutrition / Geriatric Assessment - methods / Geriatric research / Geriatrics / Geriatrics/Gerontology / Health aspects / Health care / Humans / Hypertension / Hypertension - diagnosis / Hypertension - epidemiology / Independent Living - trends / Life Style / Male / Malnutrition / Malnutrition - diagnosis / Malnutrition - epidemiology / Medical personnel / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Mini nutritional assessment / Nutrition / nutrition and epidemiology / Nutrition Assessment / Nutritional assessment / Nutritional status / Nutritional Status - physiology / Older people / Oral Health - trends / Oral hygiene / Physical characteristics / Population / Prevalence / Prevalence studies (Epidemiology) / Public health / Quality of life / Rehabilitation / Research Article / Response rates / Risk Factors / Sri Lanka / Sri Lanka - epidemiology / Surveys and Questionnaires / Systematic review