Malnutrition risk factors among the elderly from the Us-Mexico border: The “one thousand” study

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition, health & aging Vol. 16; no. 5; pp. 426 - 431
• Main Authors: Rodriguez-Tadeo, Alejandra, Wall-Medrano, A, Gaytan-Vidana, M. E, Campos, A, Ornelas-Contreras, M, Novelo-Huerta, H. I
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris Springer-Verlag 01.05.2012; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Age; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Alzheimer's disease; anthropometric measurements; Biological and medical sciences; central nervous system diseases; Cognition Disorders - complications; Cognition Disorders - epidemiology; Cognitive ability; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dementia; Depression; Depression - complications; Depression - epidemiology; Disease; Educational Status; elderly; elderly nutrition; Epidemiology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; functional status; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gender differences; Geriatric Assessment; Geriatrics/Gerontology; Health care; health information; Humans; Institutionalization; Male; Malnutrition; Malnutrition - epidemiology; Malnutrition - etiology; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental depression; Metabolic diseases; Mexican Americans; Mexico - epidemiology; Middle Aged; Mood disorders; Neurosciences; Nutrition; Nutrition Assessment; nutrition risk assessment; Nutritional Status; Older people; Other nutritional diseases (malnutrition, nutritional and vitamin deficiencies...); Population; Prevalence; Primary Care Medicine; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Quality of life; Quality of Life Research; Risk Factors; Social Isolation; United States; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Mexico; Central America; United States; North America; America; Ciudad Juarez Mexico; malnutrition; risk factors; depression; functionality; Mexican elderly; Human; Mood disorder; Depressions; Nutrition disorder; Risk factor; Depression; Metabolic diseases; Malnutrition; Elderly
• ISSN: 1279-7707; 1760-4788
• DOI: 10.1007/s12603-011-0349-1

BACKGROUND: The Mexican population is aging, which makes the fact that there is no regional information on the health of the elderly, including those in the northern region of the country. OBJECTIVE: To examine nutritional, functional, and cognitive impairments, as well as depression, in non-institutionalized elderly Mexicans along Mexico’s northern border. DESIGN: Observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS & MEASUREMENTS: Demographic and anthropometric measurements were screened and the following scales were applied among 760 elderly individuals in Chihuahua, Mexico: Katz index (for activities of daily living, ADL), the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), the Yesavage (depression), and the Pffeifer (cognitive decline). RESULTS: 7% prevalence of malnutrition, a 18% prevalence of functional disability, a 44% prevalence of depressive symptoms, a 33% prevalence of cognitive impairment, and a risk of disease in almost half the population, without differences between genders. Malnutrition, functional disability, and cognitive impairment increased with age (P <0.001). Functional disability, depression, and cognitive impairment also increased the risk of malnutrition 3.0, 2.9 and 1.4 times (P <0.005). Other factors that may affect nutritional status included isolated living and illiteracy. CONCLUSION: Levels of malnutrition, functional disability, depression and cognitive impairment are higher than those reported previously and are closely related to one another, so detecting alterations in primary care is important in order to improve quality of life and reduce complications.