Table 1 Nutritional status of older persons according to demographic, social, financial, food and appetite, lifestyle, psychological, physical, disease & care, oral characteristics and BMI categories (N = 999)
Variable | Total n = 999 (n, weighted %) | Malnutrition, n = 151 (n, weighted %) | At risk of malnutrition, n = 485 (n, weighted %) | Well nutrition, n = 363 (n, weighted %) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Demographic characteristics | |||||
Age categories | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.104 |
 Young old | 542(48.1) | 52(8.0) | 267(50.5) | 223(41.4) |  |
 Middle old | 375(42.3) | 81(15.4) | 178(53.5) | 116(31.2) |  |
 Old old | 81(9.5) | 18(12.5) | 39(55.1) | 24(27.9) |  |
Sex | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.256 |
 Male | 251(28.1) | 42(12.7) | 128(58.0) | 81(29.3) |  |
 Female | 748(71.9) | 109(12.3) | 357(50.0) | 282(37.7) |  |
Marital status | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.095 |
 Married | 840(79.4) | 135 (13.8) | 407(50.6) | 298(35.7) |  |
 Single | 15(2.2) | 0 | 10(90.7) | 5(9.3) |  |
 Divorced/widowed | 144(18.4) | 16(9.8) | 68(53.7) | 60(36.5) |  |
Level of education | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.435 |
 No formal | 76(10.2) | 13(13.9) | 44(60.8) | 19(25.3) |  |
 Primary | 270(34.2) | 40(12.3) | 141(54.6) | 89(33.0) |  |
 Secondary/tertiary | 653(55.6) | 98(12.2) | 300(48.2) | 255(39.6) |  |
Financial characteristic | |||||
Income | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.276 |
 Below poverty line | 678(73.9) | 104(13.1) | 321(50.6) | 253(36.3) |  |
 Above poverty line | 321(26.1) | 47(9.8) | 164(59.4) | 110(30.7) |  |
Social characteristics | |||||
Living arrangements | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.256 |
 Alone | 89(10.4) | 17(11.8) | 47(53.3) | 25(35.0) |  |
 With family members | 900(88.8) | 133(12.6) | 434(52.2) | 333(35.1) |  |
 With friends/relatives | 10(0.8) | 1(2.3) | 4(61.1) | 5(36.6) |  |
Food & appetite characteristics | |||||
Loss of appetite | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.659 |
 Yes | 140(11.0) | 26(11.2) | 70(58.0) | 44(30.7) |  |
 No | 859(89.0) | 125(12.6) | 415(51.7) | 319(35.7) |  |
Eating/swallowing difficulties | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.935 |
 Yes | 125(10.7) | 19(13.4) | 63(49.9) | 43(36.7) |  |
 No | 874(89.3) | 132(12.3) | 422(52.7) | 32(34.9) |  |
Food allergies | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.521 |
 Yes | 73(6.7) | 10(19.4) | 31(48.9) | 32(31.4) |  |
 No | 926(93.3) | 141(11.9) | 454(52.7) | 331(35.4) |  |
Vegetarian | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.587 |
 Yes | 328(34.7) | 52(13.3) | 155(48.8) | 121(37.8) |  |
 No | 671(65.3) | 99(12.0) | 330(54.3) | 242(33.7) |  |
Lifestyle characteristics | |||||
Alcohol consumption | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.016* |
 Yes | 36(5.2) | 9(31.4) | 17(55.9) | 10(12.7) |  |
 No | 963(94.8) | 142(11.4) | 468(52.2) | 353(36.4) |  |
Cigarette smoking | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.069 |
Yes | 28(3.5) | 6(32.4) | 15(52.8) | 7(14.8) | Â |
No | 971(96.5) | 145(11.7) | 470(52.4) | 356(35.9) | Â |
Betel chewing | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.027* |
 Yes | 269(46.3) | 46(17.1) | 131(49.7) | 92(33.1) |  |
 No | 730(53.7) | 105(8.4) | 354(54.7) | 271(36.8) |  |
Psychological characteristics | |||||
Depression | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.378 |
 Normal | 413(36.7) | 61(12.4) | 203(51.8) | 149(35.8) |  |
 Depression | 586(63.3) | 90(12.5) | 282(52.8) | 214(34.7) |  |
Physical characteristics | |||||
Physical activity | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.991 |
 Low | 164(15.4) | 24(11.1) | 80(52.9) | 60(36.0) |  |
 Moderate | 729(68.4) | 111(12.4) | 349(52.6) | 269(35.1) |  |
 High | 106(16.2) | 16(14.2) | 56(51.3) | 34(34.5) |  |
Disease & care characteristics | |||||
Chronic illness | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.325 |
 Yes | 503(55.0) | 69(10.4) | 248(56.1) | 186(33.5) |  |
 No | 496(45.0) | 82(14.1) | 237(49.4) | 177(36.5) |  |
Usage of medicines | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.110 |
 Yes | 568(60.1) | 92(15.2) | 275(50.1) | 201(34.7) |  |
 No | 431(39.9) | 59(8.4) | 210(55.9) | 162(35.7) |  |
Medical conditions | |||||
DM | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.385 |
 Yes | 62(3.9) | 8(7.6) | 31(64.2) | 23(28.2) |  |
 No | 937(96.1) | 143(12.6) | 454(51.9) | 340(35.4) |  |
HPT | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.320 |
 Yes | 203(23.5) | 28(8.5) | 101(57.8) | 74(33.7) |  |
 No | 796(76.5) | 123(13.7) | 384(50.8) | 289(35.6) |  |
HCH | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.728 |
 Yes | 14(0.5) | 3(15.3) | 7(41.3) | 4(43.4) |  |
 No | 985(99.5) | 148(12.4) | 478(52.5) | 359(35.1) |  |
Oral characteristics | |||||
Tooth loss | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.503 |
 Yes | 881(89.5) | 137(13.1) | 430(52.3) | 314(34.7) |  |
No | 118(10.5) | 14(7.3) | 55(53.7) | 49(39.1) | Â |
Use dentures | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.877 |
 Yes | 270(15.1) | 46(12.0) | 129(50.3) | 95(37.7) |  |
 No | 729(84.9) | 105(12.5) | 356(52.8) | 268(34.7) |  |
BMI categories |  |  |  |  | < 0.001* |
 Underweight | 127(13.7) | 78(44.7) | 49(55.3) | 0 |  |
 Normal | 541(58.1) | 71(10.9) | 297(58.3) | 173(30.8) |  |
 Over weight | 323(28.3) | 2(0.4) | 135(37.9) | 186(61.7) |  |
Age, mean(CI) | 70.80(70.13,71.47) | 72.3(70.6,74.0) | 70.90(69.9,71.7) | 70.2(69.0,71.4) | 0.140 |
Number of people living with (CI) | 3.60(3.42,3.77) | 3.4(3.1,3.8) | 3.5(3.3,3.8) | 3.8(3.5,4.1) | 0.256 |