Factors associated to risk of malnutrition amongst elderly women in low-income communities

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to identify the prevalence and the factors associated with the risk of malnutrition in elderly women. Methods: The study deals with a cross-sectional design, with a sample of 222 women in the age group from 60 to 96 years of age. An interview was carried out containing socio-demographic variables, clinical conditions, and behavioral aspects. The statistical analysis was accomplished via calculation of the respective prevalence ratios (PR) in the Poisson regression, p<0.05. Results: A prevalence of 33.8% (n=75) of women, considered with a malnutrition risk or undernourished, which started from the hierarchical multivariate analysis, was identified. A significant association with the age group ranging from 70 to 79 years of age (PR=2.1; CI 95%: 1.3-6.7), low education level (PR=3.1; CI 95%: 1.0-11,6), living with other people (PR=2.0; CI 95%: 1.0-4.6), the presence of depressive symptomatology (PR=2.1; CI 95%: 1.0-7.1), absence of administration of medication (PR=3.0; CI 95%: 1.1-7.6), having had some food privation along their lives (PR=3.1; CI 95%: 1.3-9.6), and with less than 75% of the time of physical activity in their leisure time (PR=2.0; CI 95%: 1.0- 4.7) were found. Conclusion: There is a high percentage of elderly women in situation of malnutrition risk, and the associated factors to the condition suggests a complex causal net in the determination of the nutritional state.