Food Habits and Mini Nutrition Assessment Status of Older Adults (60 Years and Above) in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State.

Abstract

Introduction: Malnutrition is one of the most serious problems of the older adults, with degenerative changes resulting in unintended weight loss. These have negative impact on the anthropometric/health status, psychological well-being and the quality of live among the older persons.
Objective: The study assessed the food habits and mini nutrition assessment (MNA) status of the older adults in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State.
Methods: A multi stage random sampling was used to select the subjects; Two hundred and forty-five (245) subjects (60.8% Female and 39.2% Male) in four clans. A structured and validated questionnaire was used to obtain information on the socio-economic characteristics, food habits and food frequency of the respondents. Mini nutritional assessment (MNA) and anthropometric measurements were carried out. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze data on socio-economic characteristics, food habits and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) while the mini nutrition assessment was analysed using scores and percentages. Body Mass Index (BMI) and Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) were computed using standard values, while chi-square was used to identify relationship between food habits and MNA status.
Results: The MNA result showed that 65.6% male older adults were at risk of malnutrition compared to 77.2% of their female counterparts. There was significant difference (P< 0.05) between skipping of meals, availability of cooked food and MNA status of the older adults. Conclusion: It is important to pay attention to risk factors that could compromise the ability of the older persons to manage their diet.