Tài liệu Relationship between anthropometric variables and nutrient intake in apparently healthy

R E S EARCH Open Access

Relationship between anthropometric variables

and nutrient intake in apparently healthy male

elderly individuals: A study from Pakistan

Iftikhar Alam1,2*, Anis Larbi3

, Graham Pawelec1 and Parvez I Paracha4

Abstract

Background: The elderly population is increasing worldwide, which warrants their nutritional status assessment

more important. The present study was undertaken to establish the nutritional status of the least-studied elderly

population in Pakistan.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with a sample of 526 generally healthy free-living elderly men (mean

age: 68.9 yr; range: 50-98 yr) from Peshawar, Pakistan. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, WC) were

measured and BMI and WHR were calculated from these measurements following WHO standard procedures.

Dietary intake was assessed by 24-hr dietary recall. Nutrients were calculated from the information on food intake.

Nutrients in terms of % of RNI were calculated using WHO data on recommended intakes.

Results: Based on BMI, the numbers of obese, overweight and underweight elderly were 13.1, 3.1 and 10.8%,

respectively. Age was negatively and significantly correlated with BMI (p = 0.0028). Energy (p = 0.0564) and protein

intake (p = 0.0776) tended to decrease with age. There was a significant increase in % BF with age (p = <0.0001).

The normal weight elderly had significantly (p < 0.05) higher intake of all nutrients studied, except energy which

was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in obese and overweight elderly. Overall, however, the majority of subjects had

lower than adequate nutrient intake (67.3 - 100% of recommendation).

Conclusions: Malnutrition is common in apparently healthy elderly Pakistani men. Very few elderly have adequate

nutrient intake. Obese and overweight had higher % BF as compared to normal weight elderly. Older age is

associated with changes not only in anthropometrics and body composition but also in intake of key nutrients like

energy and protein.

Background

There has been a rapid increase in the number of

elderly people in Pakistan [1] hence maintaining health

and well-being of this age group is becoming even more

important. Beside so many other health risks associated

with old age, this population is potentially the most vul￾nerable group for malnutrition [2]. Poor dentition, neu￾ropsychological problems and immobility in older age

directly affect their nutritional status [3].

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing

[4], particularly in the elderly [5], where it is associated

with increased mortality and a number of metabolic and

cardiac disorders [6]. Overweight and obesity also con￾tributes to functional decline and disability in the elderly

[7]. At the same time, quite significant numbers of old

individuals are reported to suffer from underweight and

are at higher risk for acute illness and death [8]. They

also have significantly higher risk of dying within the

first year of hospitalization than those with adequate

nutrition [9]. Weight loss has been shown to be asso￾ciated with a higher risk of disability [10]. Decreased

body Mass Index (BMI) is an indicator of chronic

energy deficiency and malnutrition, and is associated

with compromised immune function, increased

* Correspondence: [email protected]

1

Tübingen Aging and Tumour Immunology group, Sektion für

Transplantationsimmunologie und Immunohämatologie, University of

Tübingen, Zentrum für MedizinischeForschung, Waldhörnlestraße 22, 72072

Tübingen, Germany

Full list of author information is available at the end of the article

Alam et al. Nutrition Journal 2011, 10:111

http://www.nutritionj.com/content/10/1/111

© 2011 Alam et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons

Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in

any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.