Nutritional status and associated factors among elderly People in anlemo district, southern ethiopia

Abstract

Background: - Worldwide, the proportion of elderly people is constantly increasing. This rapidly growing elderly population could increase burden of malnutrition and non communicable diseases. This malnutrition is more common in the elderly population and results in many negative consequences on individual and community as well as social, political, and economical condition of population. Currently in Ethiopia elderly population is growing rapidly which could increase double burden, but their nutritional status and needs were rarely assessed and not have known precise estimate of elderly nutritional status for its intervention. Objective: This study was aimed to assess nutritional status and associated risk factors among elderly populations in Anlemo district, southern Ethiopia. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 460 subjects was included. Multi- stage sampling technique was used to select study participants. Nutritional status was evaluated by Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA)tool. Body mass index, mid-arm circumference, calf circumference was used to estimate anthropometric indices. Result was expressed in terms of mean and standard deviations for continuous variables, and frequencies and percentages for categorical variables. The associations between malnutrition and exposure variables, was tested using bivariate logistic regression analysis. Those candidate variables at bivariate logistic regression analysis was taken to the multivariate logistic analysis to test their independent contribution. The magnitude of the associations was quantified using the odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), as „‟p‟‟ values of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 460 elderly comprised of 207(45.0%) females and 253(55%) males study subjects was included with 451(98%) response rate. The magnitude of malnutrition and at risk of malnutrition was 120 (26.6%) and 178 (39.5%) respectively. Multivariate logistic analysis result was found that elderly who were unable to read and write (AOR= 2.2(1.2- 4.2), being widowed (AOR=3.4(2.0 -5.6), single/divorced/separated (AOR=5.3(2.3-12.4), chronic disease (AOR=2.2(1.4-3.5), household food insecurity status (AOR=2.9(1.2-7.0) were independently associated with nutritional status of elderly people. Conclusion and Recommendation:-This study result indicated high magnitude of malnutrition and risk of malnutrition among elderly people in Anlemo district, south Ethiopia. Thus, malnutrition was an important public health burden among the elderly in the area and therefore deserves great attention. So, the need to involve elderly in the proper nutritional care , the need of formulation and implementation of a national policy on the elderly , particularly nutritional sector were highly recommended