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- Title
Mini Nutritional Assessment of rural elderly people in Bangladesh: the impact of demographic, socio-economic and health factors.
- Authors
Kabir ZN; Ferdous T; Cederholm T; Khanam MA; Streatfied K; Wahlin A; Kabir, Zarina Nahar; Ferdous, Tamanna; Cederholm, Tommy; Khanam, Masuma Akter; Streatfied, Kim; Wahlin, Ake
- Abstract
<bold>Objective: </bold>In stating the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations aims to halve malnutrition around the world by 2015. Nutritional status of the elderly population in low-income countries is seldom focused upon. The present study aimed to evaluate the magnitude of malnutrition among an elderly population in rural Bangladesh.<bold>Design and Setting: </bold>Data collection for a multidimensional cross-sectional study of community-based elderly people aged 60 years and over was conducted in a rural area in Bangladesh.<bold>Subjects: </bold>Of 850 randomly selected elderly individuals, 625 participated in home interviews. Complete nutritional information was available for 457 individuals (mean age 69+/-8 years, 55% female). Nutritional status was assessed using an adapted form of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) including body mass index (BMI). Age, sex, education, household expenditure on food and self-reported health problems were investigated as potential predictors of nutritional status.<bold>Results: </bold>BMI<18.5 kg m(-2), indicating chronic energy deficiency, was found in 50% of the population. MNA revealed a prevalence of 26% for protein-energy malnutrition and 62% for risk of malnutrition. Health problems rather than age had a negative impact on nutritional status. Level of education and food expenditure were directly associated with nutritional status.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>In order to reduce world hunger by half in the coming decade, it is important to recognise that a substantial proportion of the elderly population, particularly in low-income countries, is undernourished.
- Publication
Public Health Nutrition, 2006, Vol 9, Issue 8, p968
- ISSN
1368-9800
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1017/phn2006990