Prevalence of Malnutrition in Elderly Nursing Home Residents and its Relationship with Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Background and Aim: Aging as one of the important stages of human life is associated with many physiological and psychological disorders including malnutrition and cognitive impairment. There is evidence of a relationship between malnutrition and cognitive impairment. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of malnutrition and its relationship with cognitive impairment in the elderly in Kermanshah nursing home. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 100 elderly people (50 females and 50 males) living in a Kermanshah nursing home. Sampling was done by simple random sampling among elderly residents. The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and Mini Mental Status Examination questionnaires were used to assess nutritional status and cognitive impairment, respectively. Chi-square test and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to evaluate the relationship between variables. Results: Over 80% of the elderly had poor nutritional status (43% malnutrition and 46% at risk of malnutrition). The MMSE results showed that 96% of the elderly are of poor cognitive health and 4% are of good cognitive health. There was a positive and significant relationship between MNA and MMSE. (r = .31, p <.001). Conclusion: The nutritional and cognitive status of the elderly participants in this study was not in a good level. Therefore, the attention of the managers of the nursing home to improve the quality of life of the elderly seems necessary.