Nutritional Assessment of Institutionalized and Free-living Elderly in Alexandria: A Comparative Study | ||||
| Journal of High Institute of Public Health | ||||
| Article 10, Volume 41, Issue 1, January 2011, Page 159-174 PDF (277.46 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jhiph.2011.20151 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
Heba El Kady* 1; Dalia Tayel 2
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| 1Department of Family Health (Geriatric Health), High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt | ||||
| 2Department of Nutrition, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) can identify malnourished elderly people and those at risk of malnutrition in short time and can guide optimal early nutritional intervention. Objective: To compare the nutritional status of institutionalized and free-living elderly in Alexandria. Methods: A cross-sectional study included fifty institutionalized elderly from two governmental elderly homes in Alexandria and fifty four free-living elderly from the community randomly selected . Data about socio-demographic characteristics, medical history and dietary habits were collected and nutritional assessment was carried out using dietary intake method, anthropometric measurements and the MNA tool. Results: Based on body mass index (BMI) estimates, obesity and being at risk of overweight were prevalent among 32% and 18% of institutionalized elderly respectively; among 7.4% and 33.3%, of free-living ones respectively. Using MNA, malnutrition and being at risk of malnutrition were 12% and 40%, respectively among institutionalized elderly; 9.3% and 29.6%, respectively among free-living ones. Calcium and vitamins A and C intake were less than the requirements. Conclusion: Malnutrition and being at risk of it were prevalent among the elders in the two studied settings | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Free-living elderly; institutionalized elderly; Malnutrition; Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) | ||||
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