Nutritional status in elderly aged 65 and older

Aim The aim of this study was to assess nutritional status of people aged 65 and older in Osijek in the period from May to October and to examine whether there is a difference in nutritional status between residential home residents and free-living elderly.Methods The nutritional status was assessed using a Mini Nutritional Assessment questionnaire (MNA). The study included 100 participants (50 residential home residents and 50 free-living elderly). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistic methods.Results Results have shown that 65 participants had adequate nutrition, 29 were at risk of undernutrition, and six people were undernourished. Undernourishment was equally represented in both groups; however the number of participants who were at risk of undernutrition was higher in the residential home group, 19 (38%) as opposed to 10 (20%) in the free-living group. The proportion of well-nourished participants was higher in the free-living group, 37 (74%) than in residential home group, 28 (56%) (p = 0,133). However, it has been shown that home residents and free-living elderly differ significantly in mobility, number of meals, consummation of dairy products, as well as in frequency of acute diseases and psychological distress during the last three months.Conclusion Nutritional status of the elderly requires attention from all of us, and it is very important to identify nutritional problems and provide appropriate interventions in order to prevent undesirable consequences of poor nutritional status of the elderly.