Nutritional status of rural community-dwelling older people and changes after following nutritional recommendations

Abstract

Background: It is crucial that community nurses in remote areas are competent to recognize the risk of malnutrition in older people and be able to help them to improve their nutritional status.

Aim: To examine the factors associated with malnutrition and the impact of nutritional recommendations in rural community-dwelling older people.

Design: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study.

Method: The study was conducted in 2014 in a rural primary health care setting in Lithuania with 169 older people. Nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment tool. Older people who were at risk of malnutrition or were already malnourished (n = 82) received written nutritional recommendations and were reassessed after 6 months.

Results: Nutritional status was normal for 51.5% of participants, 43.2% had risk of malnutrition, and 5.3% had malnutrition. Risk of malnutrition or malnutrition was associated with chronic and intermittent pain, chewing difficulties, swallowing disorders, dental problems, and medication use. The nutritional status of participants at risk of malnutrition or malnourished had improved 6 months later.

Conclusions: Risk of malnutrition or malnutrition was prevalent among rural community-dwelling older. The study highlighted that positive health outcomes are achievable in undernourished or at risk of malnutrition older people when nutritional recommendations are applied with minimal resources.

Keywords: community; malnutrition; nutritional status; older people; rural.