Nutritional and cognitive health assessment among elderly at geriatric care facilities, Hyderabad: a cross sectional study

Nasreen Begum; Bandi S. L. Pranathi

doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20251704

Authors

Nasreen Begum Department of Nutrition, St. Ann’s College for Women, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Bandi S. L. Pranathi St. Ann’s College for Women, Hyderabad, Telangana, India https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5474-3161

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20251704

Keywords:

Elderly residents, Geriatric care facilities, Nutritional status, Cognitive function, MNA, MMSE

Abstract

Background: With the global rise in the elderly population, ensuring their health and well-being has become critical. Nutrition plays a vital role in maintaining cognitive function, while cognitive health influences dietary habits. This study assessed nutritional status and cognitive function among elderly residents in geriatric care facilities.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2024 to September 2024 at two geriatric care facilities in Hyderabad (Srimatha Old Age Home, Kukatpally and HCAH Old Age Home, Gachibowli). Sixty-seven elderly residents were assessed using the mini nutritional assessment (MNA) for nutritional status and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) for cognitive function. Anthropometric measurements were recorded.

Results: Among participants (47.8% male, 52.2% female), MNA revealed 46.3% had normal nutrition, 46.3% were at risk of malnutrition, and 7.4% were malnourished. MMSE scores showed 17.9% had no cognitive impairment, 34.3% had mild decline, and 47.8% had severe impairment.

Conclusions: Malnutrition risk and cognitive impairment are prevalent among elderly in care facilities. Regular assessments and holistic interventions addressing nutrition, cognitive stimulation, and social engagement are essential to improve their quality of life.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Liu W, Chen S, Jiang F, Zhou C, Tang S. Malnutrition and Physical Frailty Among Nursing Home Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study in China. J Nutr Health Aging. 2020;24(4):395-402.

Salminen KS, Suominen MH, Kautiainen H, Pitkälä KH. Associations Between Nutritional Status, Frailty and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Older Long-Term Care Residents in Helsinki. J Nutr Health Aging. 2020;24(3):319-24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-019-1320-9

Bakhtiari A, Pourali M, Omidvar S. Nutrition assessment and geriatric associated conditions among community dwelling Iranian elderly people. BMC Geriatrics. 2020;20(1):1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-020-01668-8

Boström AM, Cederholm T, Faxén-Irving G, Franzén E, Grönstedt H, Seiger Å, et al. Factors Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Persons Residing in Nursing Homes. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2022;15:2615-22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S381332

Pidrafita-Páez N, Silveira J, Pinto E, Franco L, Romero-Rodríguez MÁ, Vázquez-Odériz ML, Nutriage Study Group. Dietary Adequacy in Older Adult Nursing Home Residents of the Northern Iberian Peninsula. Nutrients. 2024;16(6):798. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16060798

Woo J, McGhee SM, Lam TH. Nutrition and health among the elderly in Hong Kong: Implications for policy and care. Public Health Nutr. 2020;23(2):299-306.

Yu W, Yu W, Liu X, Wan T, Chen C, Xiong L, et al. Associations between malnutrition and cognitive impairment in an elderly Chinese population: an analysis based on a 7-year database. Psychogeriatrics. 2021;21(1):80-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/psyg.12631

Leirós M, Amenedo E, Rodríguez M, Pazo-Álvarez P, Franco L, Leis R, et al; Rest of NUTRIAGE Study Researchers. Cognitive Status and Nutritional Markers in a Sample of Institutionalized Elderly People. Front Aging Neurosci. 2022;14:880405. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2022.880405

Wojzischke J, van Wijngaarden J, van den Berg C, Cetinyurek-Yavuz A, Diekmann R, Luiking Y, et al. Nutritional status and functionality in geriatric rehabilitation patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Geriatr Med. 2020;11(2):195-207. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-020-00294-2

Bhagwasia M, Rao AR, Banerjee J, Bajpai S, Raman AV, Talukdar A, et al. Association Between Cognitive Performance and Nutritional Status: Analysis From LASI-DAD. Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2023;9:23337214231194965. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214231194965

Shuremu M, Belachew T, Hassen K. Nutritional status and its associated factors among elderly people in Ilu Aba Bor Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2023;13(1):e067787. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067787

Pakai A, Havasi-Sántha E, Mák E, Máté O, Pusztai D, Fullér N, et al. Influence of cognitive function and nurse support on malnutrition risk in nursing home residents. Nurs Open. 2021;8(4):1805-11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.824

BDSS Corp. Released 2022. coGuide Statistics software, Version 2.0, India: BDSS corp. Available at: https://www.coguide.in/. Accessed on 20 March 2025.

Liu W, Chen S, Jiang F, Zhou C, Tang S. Malnutrition and Physical Frailty among Nursing Home Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study in China. J Nutr Health Aging. 2020;24(5):500-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-020-1348-x