Social and economic correlates of malnutrition in Polish elderly population: The results of PolSenior study

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition, health & aging Vol. 19; no. 4; pp. 397 - 402
• Main Authors: Krzymińska-Siemaszko, Roma, Mossakowska, M, Skalska, A, Klich-Rączka, A, Tobis, S, Szybalska, A, Cylkowska-Nowak, M, Olszanecka-Glinianowicz, M, Chudek, J, Wieczorowska-Tobis, K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Springer Paris 01.04.2015; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Age; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Body mass index; Cross-Sectional Studies; educational status; elderly; Epidemiology; Female; females; Geriatrics; Geriatrics/Gerontology; Gerontology; Humans; Male; Malnutrition; Malnutrition - economics; Malnutrition - epidemiology; Marital Status; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; men; Neurosciences; Nutrition; Nutrition Assessment; Nutrition Surveys; Nutritional Status; Older people; Palliative care; Parenteral nutrition; Poland - epidemiology; Population; poverty; Poverty - statistics & numerical data; Prevalence; Primary Care Medicine; Quality of Life Research; Questionnaires; Residence Characteristics; Risk; rural areas; Rural Population; screening; Self Report; Sex Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; socioeconomic status; women; Poland; Malnutrition; socio-economic status; elderly; MNA-SF
• ISSN: 1279-7707; 1760-4788
• DOI: 10.1007/s12603-014-0572-7

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition in Polish elderly population and analyse its social and economic correlates based on the data from the PolSenior project, the first large-scale study of a representative group of Polish seniors. DESIGN: A cross-sectional population-based study. SETTING: All territorial provinces in Poland. PARTICIPANTS: 4482 community-dwelling respondents aged 65 years or above (women: n=2142, age=79.0±8.4 years; men: n=2340, age= 78.3±8.6 years). MEASUREMENTS: The nutritional status of participants was assessed through the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (the revised MNA-SF). Out of social and economic correlates we evaluated age, sex, level of education, marital status, place of residence, living conditions and economic status. Economic status of the respondents was determined on the basis of questions on how well they could manage their own budgets. Those who could afford only the cheapest food or clothes were considered the group of self-reported poverty. RESULTS: Frequency of malnutrition in the PolSenior population accounted for 7.5% (in 5.0% men and 9.0% women; p<0.001). The risk of malnutrition was present in 38.9% (33.3% men and 42.4% women; p<0.001). In our study female sex, older age, unmarried status, living in a rural area and self-reported poverty were independent correlates of malnutrition. CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed high prevalence of malnutrition and the risk of its development among the community-dwelling elderly people in Poland. Screening with MNA-SF should focus in particular on unmarried, poorly educated individuals, in late old age, living in rural areas and self-reporting a poor financial state, especially women.