Menu ENN Search

Methods for Assessing Malnutrition in Older People

A Summary of Initial Findings

In the first edition of Field Exchange we reported on an ongoing research project by Helpage and the LSHTM which was developing methods for assessing malnutrition in older people in developing countries. After five years of this study some of the results were presented at a symposium held at LSHTM at the end of September. The symposium advocated for greater attention to be paid by development and emergency organisations to the nutritional and related needs of older people.

The research concentrated on finding a simple but effective way of using anthropometric measurements to assess the nutritional status of older people. It examined the relationship between nutritional status and functional ability (the ability to perform basic activities of daily life without support). Vulnerability factors associated with risk of malnutrition in the elderly were also examined. The study took place in three sites, an urban slum in Bombay, a rural population in Malawi and a refugee population in Karagwe region of Tanzania. The elderly were defined as those over 50 years of age.

Nutritional status was measured using various indices like MUAC (mid upper arm circumference) and BMI (wt/ht2 )but substituting armspan (the distance between the tips of the middle fingers when both arms are held out) for height where there was curvature of the spine (kyphosis). One difficulty with using BMI to assess nutritional status of the elderly is that accurate height measurement is necessary, yet curvature of the spine confounds accurate measurement. In one of the study populations the percentage of the elderly with kyphosis was 17%.

The main findings of the study were as follows:

One of the main conclusions from the study is that prevention of malnutrition is critical in protecting functional ability of the elderly.

A handbook arising out of this study, to assist organisations or individuals wishing to measure nutritional status or assess vulnerability in the elderly is currently at draft stage. The first three chapters have largely been written. These explain methods of assessing nutritional status in the elderly, e.g. MUAC, BMI using armspan, height or demispan. BMI nutritional status charts using all these anthropometric measures are provided. Further chapters are to be written on ways of assessing vulnerability in the elderly and on appropriate interventions to deal with nutritional risk and problems in the elderly.

A report of the symposium can be obtained from Kate Gregory at Help Age International, 67-74 Saffron Hill, London EC1N 8QX. Tel No +44 171 404 7201, E-Mail helpage@dial.pipex.com

More like this

FEX: Assessing malnutrition in older people

During emergencies the elderly are often identified as a vulnerable group who appear susceptible to malnutrition and disease. At the moment there are no standards for assessing...

FEX: Nutritional status and handgrip strength in older refugees

Summary of research1 Handgrip strength measurement in the Chabilissa II camp, Tanzania 1995 A recent study set out to demonstrate the relationship between nutritional status...

FEX: Assessing nutritional status using armspan measurement

Summary of published paper1 In older people, the use of body mass index (BMI) to determine nutritional status is often unreliable. In particular, the accuracy of height...

en-net: Nutritional status and vulnerability of older adults/older people (aged 50 +)

Happy New Year to En-net colleagues, I have recently been contracted by HelpAge International (in partnership with NutritionWorks) to write a module on nutrition in older...

FEX: Older people, nutrition and emergencies in Ethiopia

By Vanessa Tilstone Vanessa Tilstone has worked for HelpAge International in Ethiopia for the last 3 years as the Country Programme Director and has worked previously in...

en-net: W/h in rickets

is W/H criteria applicable to children with rickets?? I will do a "toy example" with only a few data points. Is is a "toy example" in the sense that I will use only 10 pairs...

en-net: Assessing levels of maternal malnutrition

In Niger the 2006 MICS estimated 19.2% of women of reproductive age to be malnourished (with a BMI-18.5) and 1.9% severely malnourished (BMI-16). In Zinder the rate was 29.6%...

FEX: Postscript on older people, nutrition in emergencies in Ethiopia

Bradley A.Woodruff, MD MPH, Medical Epidemiologist International Emergency and Refugee Health Branch U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention This field article from...

FEX: Nutritional Risk Factors in Older Refugees

Summary of published paper1 This woman is a widow and has nine people in her household to help provide for A study has recently been published on nutritional risk factors for...

FEX: Improved surveillance prevents excess mortality: the Gode experience

Summary of published paper1 A study on the epidemiology of the famine in Gode district of Ethiopia has just been published. The primary objectives of the study (which was...

FEX: Assessment of adult malnutrition

Assessment of Adult Malnutrition was the subject of a special meeting held during the SCN's 28th session in Nairobi in April 20011. The aim of the meeting was to reach a...

FEX: Assessing the Nutritional Vulnerability of Older People in Developing Countries: a Symposium

Help Age International and the Human Nutrition Unit of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine are holding a symposium on the 23rd and 24th of September 1997 which...

FEX: Anthropometric cut-off points for older children and adolescents in Syria

By Paluku Bahwere View this article as a pdf Paluku Bahwere is a paediatrician with over 25 years of experience in operational research and programming in the fields of...

FEX: A systematic review of obstacles to treatment of adult undernutrition

Summary of MMedSci research1 By Claire Bader Since graduating as a Registered Nurse in 1995, Claire has spent over 12 years working in a variety of health and nutritional...

en-net: malnutrition rate

Dear All, Urgently want to know in any nutritional survey what is the difference we can expect in the percentage of SAM children we will find using WFH criteria and with MUAC...

FEX: Supporting healthy growth in infants in low-resource settings in Mumbai, India

View this article as a pdf Lisez cet article en français ici By Rupal Dalal, Shruthi Iyer, Marian Abraham and Lahari Yaddanapudi Rupal Dalal MD FAAP IBCLC is a...

FEX: Diet and nutrition status among school-age children and adolescents in Tanzania

View this article as a pdf By Sauli John, Geofrey Mchau, Heavenlight Ayubu, Stanslaus Mafung'a, Samafilan Ainan, Wiggins Kyatikila, Elizabeth Lyimo, Frank Chacky, Fatoumata...

FEX: The burden of malnutrition and fatal COVID-19: A global burden of disease analysis

View this article as a pdf Research snapshot1 The role played by population-level nutritional status in the vulnerability of countries to COVID-19 illness and death is...

FEX: An Ongoing Omission: Adolescent and Adult Malnutrition in Famine Situations

By Peter Salama and Steve Collins. (December '98) A boy sits under a tree awaiting a distribution by the UN World Food Programme in the southern village Acum Cum. The food is...

FEX: Targeted Food Distribution to Women and Children in Northern Afghanistan

By Regine Kopplow, Concern Worldwide Regine Kopplow is a senior nutrition advisor with Concern, working in Afghanistan since April 2002. Previous field experiences include...

Close

Reference this page

Methods for Assessing Malnutrition in Older People. Field Exchange 3, January 1998. p7. www.ennonline.net/fex/3/methods

(ENN_3287)

Close

Download to a citation manager

The below files can be imported into your preferred reference management tool, most tools will allow you to manually import the RIS file. Endnote may required a specific filter file to be used.