%0 Journal Article %A Hoogendijk, Emiel %A Ruano, T. Flores %A Martínez-Reig, M. %A López-Utiel, M. %A Lozoya-Moreno, S. %A Dent, Elsa %A Abizanda, P. %D 2019 %T Socioeconomic position and malnutrition among older adults: Results from the FRADEA study %U https://torrens.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Socioeconomic_position_and_malnutrition_among_older_adults_Results_from_the_FRADEA_study/7591622 %R 10.25905/5c46aaaace3d0 %2 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12603-018-1061-1 %K Older adults %K Malnutrition %K Nutritional assessment %K Socioeconomic position %K FRADEA %K Aged Health Care %X

Objectives

Low socioeconomic position (SEP) is related to many health-related conditions in older adults. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the association between SEP and malnutrition, a condition with serious consequences for older people in terms of quality of life and adverse health events. In the current study, we investigated socioeconomic inequalities in malnutrition and sub-domains of malnutrition in a sample of Spanish older adults.

Design

Cross-sectional population-based study.

Setting

Urban area of Albacete, Spain. Participants: 836 participants over age 70 from the first measurement wave (2007-2009) of the Frailty and Dependence in Albacete (FRADEA) study, a population-based cohort study.

Measurements

Educational level and occupational level were the indicators of SEP. Nutritional risk was measured with the Mini Nutrition Assessment® Short Form (MNA®-SF). Logistic regression analyses were performed.

Results

For both socioeconomic indicators there was a statistically significant association with nutritional risk (OR low education=1.99, 95% CI=1.18-3.35; OR low occupational level=1.71, 95% CI=1.08-2.72). However, these associations disappeared after adjusting for age and sex (OR low education=1.51, 95% CI=0.88-2.60; OR low occupational level=1.32, 95% CI=0.80-2.17). In adjusted models, statistically significant associations between SEP and sub-domains of the MNA®-SF were observed, but these associations were not consistent across socioeconomic indicators.

Conclusions

This study found that malnutrition is a condition that can appear in any older adult, regardless of their socioeconomic group. These findings suggest that interventions to prevent malnutrition in older adults can be targeted at a general older population, and do not have to be SEP specific.

Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging. 2018; 22(9): 1086–1091

%I Torrens University Australia