Malnutrition and nutrient intake values in the hungarian elderly
Journal Title: New Medicine - Year 2010, Vol 14, Issue 4
Abstract
Introduction. Both obesity and malnutrition are health risks for the elderly, and deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals also frequently occur.Aim. The aim of this survey was to assess and analyse nutritional status, occurrence of malnutrition, and the nutrient intake of elderly persons over 55 years of age.Material and method. Anthropometric data from 327 elderly persons were collected, and the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire was used to screen for malnutrition. Nutrient intake was assessed by 24-hour recall, and a nutrient calculator (NutriComp) was also used. The data were analysed using SPSS 15.0 software.Results. According to MNA a quarter (25.07%) of participants were found to be either malnourished or to be at high risk of it, but ? interestingly ? only 3.98% of those had a subnormal BMI. On the other hand, a third of the subjects (31.19%) were obese (with BMI > 30 kg/m2). Total energy intake in both genders was lower than recommended (8943 kJ for men and 7493 for women versus 10450 kJ recommended). Fat energy and sodium intake were higher, while carbohydrate, calcium, vitamin D, C, folate and dietary fibre intake were lower than recommended. Overall daily fluid consumption, which is important for the elderly, fell below the desirable level.Conclusions. In the Hungarian elderly, a relatively high risk of malnutrition and imbalance of nutrient intake (sodium excess and insufficiency of fluid, dietary fibre, calcium, vitamin D, and folate) was found and should be corrected.
Authors and Affiliations
Márta Bálint, Istvánné Németh, Adrienn Lichthammer, Erzsébet Pálfi, István Szabolcs
Keywords
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