Nutritional Screening Of Utah Rural And Urban Elderly

Abstract

LEARNING OUTCOME: To identify three demographic variables associated with nutrition risk and the overall prevalence of nutrition risk among congregate meal participants in Utah.This study was designed to determine the degree of nutritional risk present within the elderly population in rural and urban areas in the state of Utah by conducting an initial nutrition screening using the Determine Your Nutritional Health checklist developed by the Nutrition Screening Initiative. Congregate meal sites were stratified according to urbanization and fifteen centers were selected from both rural and urban counties. Participants at each site completed a Determine Your Nutritional Health checklist and survey asking demographic data including age, sex, marital status, living situation, frequency of participation in congregate meals, and if they had previously used the checklist.A total of 838 valid surveys was collected from 29 congregate meals sites throughout the state of Utah. Fifty-seven percent of participants scored in the “utritional health”ory, 27.7 percent were at moderate nutrition risk, and 15.4 percent scored in the high nutrition risk category. Checklist statements one, seven, and eight (“I have an illness or condition that made me change the kind and/or amount of food I eat” ; “I eat alone most of the time” ; and “I take 3 or more different prescribed or over-the-counter drugs a day”) had the highest percentages of positive responses at 28.9,33.1, and 39.7 percent, respectively.Nutrition risk category was significantly associated with gender (P=0.04), marital status (P=0.00), and cohabitation status (P=0.00). Women, unmarrieds, and individuals living alone scored more frequently in a higher nutrition risk category.Results of this study reflect influences on nutrition risk found in a sample of congregate meal participants in the state of Utah. These results can help the state of Utah identify the common risk factors within this segment of its population, i.e. gender, marital status, cohabitation status, acute/chronic disease, eating alone, and polypharmacy, to plan education and/or intervention for individuals who are at risk.