Prevalence Of Chronic Energy Deficiency Research Articles

Nutritional Status of the Tribal Elderly in India

The objective of the paper is to assess the diet and nutritional status of the tribal elderly (> 60 years) using data from a cross-sectional study carried out by National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB) exclusively in Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) villages of 9 provincial States in India during 1998-1999. A total of 1,239 elderly completed the diet survey (24-hour recall) and 3,932 elderly completed anthropometric measurements. In general, the mean consumption of all the foods and the median intakes of all the nutrients were below the Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDI) in both men and women. The mean heights and weights significantly decreased with increase in age in both males and females (p < 0.001). The prevalence of Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED = BMI < 18.5) was relatively higher (65.4%) in females compared with their male counterparts (61.8%). The prevalence of CED was significantly higher (p < 0.001) among the elderly living in kutcha and landless households. The tribal elderly are subsisting on inadequate diets, which are reflected in the poor intakes of all the nutrients and higher prevalence of undernutrition. Significantly higher proportion of tribal elderly are undernourished compared with their rural counterparts (p < 0.001).

Rice-based diets in rural Bangladesh: how do different age and sex groups adapt to seasonal changes in energy intake?

Seasonality has been recognized as a key determinant of human energy balance, especially in low-income countries. The objective was to test the hypothesis that, in rural Bangladesh, different age and sex groups adapt similarly to seasonal changes in energy intake (EI). A prospective study was carried out in 2 rural Bangladeshi villages in the lean and peak seasons. Data on anthropometric measures (weight, height, and midupper arm circumference) and dietary food intake (collected with the use of a 24-h food weighing method) were obtained from all subjects from 304 households. The average EI increased from a least-squares mean (+/- SE) of 7.87 +/- 0.10 MJ x person(-1) x d(-1) in the lean season to 9.47 +/- 0.13 MJ x person(-1) x d(-1) in the peak season. In children and adolescents aged < 18 y of age, the prevalence of underweight (weight-for-age) was not significantly different (56%) in the 2 seasons. Among adults, a significantly higher prevalence of chronic energy deficiency [body mass index (in kg/m(2)) < 18.5] was observed in the peak season (67%) than in the lean season (61%), despite a higher EI in the peak season. Other determinants of seasonal nutritional status are presented. Seasonal fluctuations in EI were substantial in all age and sex groups. Children and adolescents showed no significant seasonal changes in the prevalence of underweight, which indicated that they adapted to changes in EI. In adults, the season in which EI was high coincided with average weight loss, which indicated that adults did not adapt fully to seasonal fluctuations in EI and that seasonal energy expenditure is probably a major determinant of nutritional status.

Diet and Nutritional Status of the Elderly in Rural India

The main purpose of this study is to assess the current diet and nutritional status of the elderly population (> 60 years of age) in rural India. The data collected on food and nutrient intakes of communities during 1996-97 by the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau in the eight states of India is utilized for the purpose of this study. Dietary intakes of 922 elderly individuals were assessed by 24-hour recall, and anthropometric measurements were taken on 3,646 individuals. The results suggested that the consumption of a majority of foods except cereals and millets, and roots and tubers among the elderly of both sexes, and other vegetables among females, was below the recommended dietary allowances for Indians. The intakes of energy, total fat, calcium and thiamin in both sexes and protein intakes among females were comparable to the recommended levels for adults. The prevalence of chronic energy deficiency as assessed by body mass index was higher in the males, while the prevalence of obesity was higher among females.

Body mass index and morbidity in adult males of the War Khasi in Northeast India.

Data on the relationship between obesity, or high body mass index (BMI), and morbidity in adult individuals are frequently reported, but little is known about the relationship between morbidity and low BMI especially in developing countries. The present study was therefore an attempt to evaluate the relationship between BMI and morbidity in adult individuals. The analyses were derived from the data based on self-reported morbidity and anthropometric measurements taken on adult males. The results were presented according to age and income groups for individuals of reporting and non-reporting illness. The total sample size was 575 adult males (18-59 y) of the War Khasi population. Rural area of the state of Meghalaya in Northeast India. : The prevalence of chronic energy deficiency (CED) was found to be 35%, although the mean BMI (20.06+/-2.65 kg/m(2)) in individuals of non-reporting illness was higher than in those reported for many populations of Northeast India. The relationship between BMI and reported illness was not significant, although the morbidity curve tended to be U-shaped, and the prevalence of reported illness (32%) was highest in the individuals with BMI below 17.0 kg/m(2). Moreover, the suggested cut-off 18.5 of BMI for screening the prevalence of CED did not correspond with the rise in morbidity, but both BMI and morbidity were significantly associated with age and income of the household. In view of the present analysis and other related literature, BMI is likely to be a better indicator of standards of living than a predictor of illness as the latter may also predispose individuals to the former. Thus, morbidity and low BMI may be considered parts of ill health, which are influenced by a number of biological and environmental factors especially age, economic conditions, undernutrition, safe water sanitation, community pathogens, prevention and control measures of locally endemic diseases and infections.

Nutritional status and irrigated rice cultivation in northern Senegal: A five‐year follow‐up

Nutritional status was monitored in a random sample of inhabitants of three villages in Northern Senegal where irrigated rice cultivation started in July 1989. In early 1990, weight and height were measured in children and adults. From 1990–1995, 290 preschool children, 175 mothers of the children and 99 men aged 20–60 years were followed longitudinally. The prevalence of wasting in children fell from 11.4% (95% confidence interval: 7.4–15.4%) in 1990 to 3.8% (1.5–6.0) in 1995, while the prevalence of stunting initially declined and then increased. Prevalence of chronic energy deficiency (BMI < 185 kg/m2) in men fell from 225% (14.6–30.4%) in 1990 to 6.6% (1.4–11.8%) in 1991 and thereafter increased to 13.0% in 1995, while no significant variations were found among women. The prevalence of overweight (BMI > 25 kg/m2) increased significantly over time in both sexes. Individual annual weight gains of adults were significantly greater than zero from 1990 to 1991 (mean: 1.8 kg/yr) and from 1991 to 1992 (mean: 1.2 kg/yr), and close to zero thereafter. In conclusion, the onset of irrigated rice cultivation was followed by a decrease in the prevalences of wasting and chronic energy deficiency, but a causal relationship between the agricultural project and nutrition changes cannot be ascertained.

Body mass index of adult males in 12 populations of Northeast India

Background: Of the anthropometric indices, body mass index (BMI) is considered to be more nutritionally than genetically related. Thus, in a country with diverse ethnic groups like India, it is more appropriate to use BMI as an indicator of the nutritional status of adult population. However, literature on BMI of adult Indians is limited to certain geographical regions or populations, and little is known about the populations in the northeast region of the Indian sub-continent.Aim: The present report deals with the BMI of adult males in 12 populations of Northeast India with a view to understanding their nutritional status.Subjects and methods: Anthropometric data collected by the Anthropological Survey of India on 946 adult males aged 18-62 years of 12 populations in Northeast India were used in this analysis. The populations were broadly categorized into three groups, namely, caste, Hinduized and tribal groups. The data were collected mostly from rural areas, taking into consideration the different social ranks such as castes, tribes and religious groups.Results: The variation in mean BMIs between populations was highly significant, ranging between 18.3 and 20.5 kg m−2. Despite a few exceptions, the mean values of BMI in the tribal populations were significantly higher than the caste groups. The prevalence of chronic energy deficiency (CED) was also lower in the tribal (19%) than in the Hinduized (49%) and caste (52%) populations (χ2 = 89.4, d.f. = 2, p<0:001). Although it is difficult to explain why the tribals have higher BMI than the higher castes, the Cormic index or CI (SH/H) was significantly lower among the caste groups as compared with some tribal groups. The linear regression coefficient (b ± standard error) of BMI on CI for all the populations, irrespective of ethnic origin, was 30.4 ± 4.3 (t = 7.1, p<0.000), and the correlation coefficient (r ± standard error) 0.22 ± 0.03. The differences in BMI across groups were, however, significant even after allowing for CI.Conclusion: A majority of the adult males in these populations were lean. The high proportion of individuals with grade I CED suggests the need of other information on morbidity and health status of these populations.

The distribution and mortality impact of chronic energy deficiency among adult Nigerian men and women.

To determine the prevalence of chronic energy deficiency (CED) and associated mortality risk in a cohort of adult Nigerians followed from 1992 to 1997. The data for this investigation were derived from an international collaborative study on chronic diseases in populations of the African diaspora. Body mass index (BMI) was used to define three grades of CED in 4061 men and women aged 25 years and older: Grade I (mild CED) as BMI 17.5-18.4, Grade II (moderate CED) as BMI 16.0-17.4, and Grade III (severe CED) as BMI < 16.0 and BMI > or = 18.5 was considered normal. The odds of mortality associated with differing grades of CED was estimated with logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of CED (BMI < 18.5) increased from 14.3% in 1992 to 19.6% in 1997, both genders combined. The prevalence of CED was similar for both sexes in 1992 (14%) but increased to 22.4% in men and 17.4% in women by 1997. The prevalence of CED was 8.5%, 7.6 and 3.4 for Grades I, II and III, respectively. Two hundred and seven deaths occurred during the follow-up period. The mortality rate for the 5.5 y of follow-up was 5.1% (207/4061). The odds ratios (95% CIs) for all cause mortality were 1.4 (0.5, 3.8), 2.4 (1.2, 4.9) and 2.5 (1.0, 6.2), respectively, for CED grades I, II and III adjusting for age and sex. Under nutrition is an increasing problem in Nigerian men and women. The economic reforms (structural adjustment program (SAP)) introduced in 1986 in combination with the continued economic woes brought on by political instability, corruption and nepotism have been advanced by several investigators as the main factors in the growing problem of inadequate calorie intake. Intervention strategies both at the government and private sectors are urgently needed to increase food availability.

Chronic energy deficiency and relative abdominal overfatness coexist in free‐living elderly individuals in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

As part of the Cross-Cultural Research on Nutrition of Older Subjects (CRONOS) project, the aim of this cross-sectional study was to observe the nutritional status and body composition of free-living elderly and middle-aged people in a low-income area of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Anthropometric data (weight; height; arm span; four skinfold thicknesses; left upper mid-arm, abdomen, hip and calf circumferences) were collected from 50 Vietnamese men and 50 Vietnamese women aged between 35 and 44 years and 50 men and 50 women aged between 60 and 74 years who lived in Village 2, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City. The prevalence of chronic energy deficiency (CED) in the elderly men (BMI = 19.9 ± 2.8 kg/m2) was higher (52 vs 34%) than that in the middle-aged men (BMI = 19.2 ± 3.4 kg/m2). Fat-free mass and calf circumference of the elderly were lower than those of the middle-aged (p<0.001). However, the Vietnamese elderly had higher body fat content, higher abdomen-to-hip ratios and lower fat-free mass than their younger counterparts (p<0.05). In particular, 36% of middle-aged women and 20% of elderly women were classified with 'relative abdominal overfatness'. Vietnamese middle-aged and older adults are shorter and thinner than their counterparts in American and European countries but overfatness increases with age, particularly in women. Urban elderly are vulnerable to both undernutrition and overnutrition, both of which merit consideration in the geriatric care system in Vietnam.

Concurrent Prevalence of Chronic Energy Deficiency and Obesity among Women in Purworejo, Central Java, Indonesia

There are few studies on the nutritional status of nonpregnant women. A population-based, cross-sectional study of nutritional status in 5,817 non-pregnant women 15 to 49 years of age was conducted in Purworejo District, Indonesia, in 1996. Weight, height, mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC), and triceps skinfold thickness were measured, and information on socio-economic, demographic, and reproductive factors was collected. Seventeen percent of the women had chronic energy deficiency and 11% were obese. Mean weight, MUAC, and triceps skinfold thickness corresponded to the 25th percentile of standards and mean height to the 5th percentile. Obesity was more common among older women and chronic energy deficiency among both the oldest and the youngest women. Women working in agriculture, not using contraceptives, and not owning a television, radio, or refrigerator were more likely to have chronic energy deficiency. In summary, both chronic energy deficiency and obesity existed in Purworejo, and risk factors were identified. Interventions are needed to improve the nutritional status of girls and women before and after pregnancy.

Malnutrition and food consumption patterns in Malaysia

In a rapidly developing country like Malaysia problems related to nutrition present themselves with contrasting features. While health indicators such as the toddler mortality rate, incidence of low birth weight and food balance sheet data suggest an improving nutritional situation, direct nutrition assessment indicates that chronic protein energy malnutrition is still common amongst children in rural areas and urban slums. Initial surveys of the adult urban population indicate about 10% prevalence of chronic energy deficiency in both sexes. Food consumption data revealed an average energy intake below the recommended daily intake for Malaysia in most age groups. Although death due to malnutrition is rare in Malaysia, it is known to cause considerable ill-health, impaired mental performance in children, loss of productivity in adults and an overall decline in quality of life. This paper reports the prevalence of malnutrition in the last two decades, the possible contributing factors and recommendations fo...