Background. Malnutrition can lead to chronic disease especially in vulnerable population. This study is to explore the extent of the malnutrition problem in community Chinese elderly and its associating factors in Hong Kong. Method. This is a cross-sectional study using structured interview with 7-day food frequency questionnaires. 1960 men and 1954 women aged 65 or above were recruited from the community. Results. Less than half of the participants fulfilled the recommended intake level of the others. Less than 10% of participants met the daily requirement of fibre, Calcium, Vitamin D, Iodine, and Copper. 22.32% of male participants and 6.21% of female participants have cholesterol intake exceeding the recommended upper level. 41.19% men and 28.99% women exceeded the upper level of fat percentage of total energy. Educational level was demonstrated to have a consistent positive association with the adequate intake in most nutrients. Single or divorced marital status is a risk factor in over-intake of saturated fatty acid in men and under-intake in Zinc and meat in women. Conclusion. Our study has shown the serious malnutrition problem in a wide range of nutrients in community Chinese elderly in Hong Kong. 1. Introduction Nutrition is vital for healthy ageing. Inappropriate diet is associated with different illnesses such as cancer, stroke, ischaemic heart disease, diabetic mellitus, and osteoporosis irrespective of the sex and ethnicity [1]. Previous studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet helped to reduce risk of cancer, which suggested that increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and decreasing meat intake would have a protective effect against cancer [2]. Another study also showed a strong protective effect of fibre, Vitamin C, and carotene as well as positive association between dietary fat intake and breast cancer amongst the Chinese [3]. A systematic review showed that diets with nonhydrogenated unsaturated fat, as the major forms of fat intake, whole grain, as the major form of carbohydrate along with high intake of fruits and vegetables, as well as adequate omega-3 fatty acid had a significant protection effect against cardiovascular diseases [4]. Another study in China showed that hyperlipidemia was positively associated with total energy, total fat, and saturated fatty acid intake and negatively associated with fibre intake [5]. A previous local study in Hong Kong found reduced mortality with increased fish uptake [6]. Inappropriate nutrient intake is not only confined to developing countries, but is also common amongst elderly in
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