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- Ferdous, Tamanna, 1974-, et al.
(author)
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The multidimensional background of malnutrition among rural older individuals in Bangladesh : A challenge for the Millennium Development Goal
- 2009
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In: Public Health Nutrition. - Cambridge : Cambridge University Press. - 1368-9800 .- 1475-2727. ; 12:12, s. 2270-2278
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: To investigate the associations and relative impact of illness, socio-economic and social indicators for nutritional status among elderly persons in rural Bangladesh.Design: A multidisciplinary, cross-sectional study employing home interviews to collect information on demographic, socio-economic and social status; clinical examination to classify medical diagnoses; and Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) to assess the nutritional status of each participant.Setting: Matlab, Bangladesh.Subjects: A total of 625 randomly selected individuals (≥60 years of age) participated in home interviews and 473 underwent clinical examination. Complete information on nutritional status was available for 457 individuals, median age 68 years, 55 % women.Results: Twenty-six per cent of the elderly participants were undernourished and 62 % were at risk of malnutrition according to MNA. More than three-quarters of the participants had acute infections, 66 % suffered from chronic illnesses, 36 % had sensory impairments and 81 % were suffering from gastrointestinal disorders. Acute infections (P < 0·001), gastrointestinal disorders (P < 0·01), depressive symptoms (P < 0·001) and impaired cognitive function (P < 0·01) were significantly and independently associated with poorer nutritional status. Moreover, female gender (P < 0·05), having no income (P < 0·01), being illiterate (P < 0·01) and not receiving regular financial support (P < 0·05) were also independently associated with poor nutritional status.Conclusions: Malnutrition among elderly people in rural Bangladesh is associated with female gender, medical, psychological, socio-economic and social indicators. A multidimensional approach is probably needed to reduce undernutrition in older populations in low-income countries like Bangladesh.
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