Abstract
Elderly people living in the community are a population group at high nutritional risk. The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional risk of Polish seniors in relation to the region of residence and selected lifestyle characteristics (alcohol consumption, smoking, sleep, physical activity). The SCREEN-14 (Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition) questionnaire was used to assess nutritional risk. The questionnaire was conducted among 320 Polish adults aged 60 and older. The snowball method was used to select the sample. The study was conducted from May to July 2021 in two regions. Cluster analysis with agglomeration technique was used to identify the association between categories of variables describing nutritional risk level, demographic characteristics, and lifestyle characteristics. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between identified nutritional risk levels and selected lifestyle characteristics. Men over 75 and seniors living in smaller towns have been shown to be at higher nutritional risk. High nutritional risk was significantly more common among those who consumed alcohol, smoked tobacco, and had less than six hours or more than nine hours of sleep per day. In addition, low to moderate physical activity was associated with higher nutritional risk. The identification of factors that increase nutritional risk among seniors can support the planning of ways to prevent nutritional problems in this age group.
Highlights
In order to reliably assess the nutritional risk depending on selected lifestyle characteristics, subjects following any specific diet recommended by a doctor, dietician. or of their own choice were excluded from the study
The research has identified non-nutritional factors influencing the occurrence of nutritional risk
Men over the age of 75 and seniors living alone in smaller cities are more likely to be at nutritional risk
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Nutritional risk screening among the elderly continues to be of growing interest [1,2,3]. This type of research can contribute to the identification of health risks, effective treatment, and improved health outcomes [3]. It can form an essential part of service delivery [4]
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