2022 Volume 25 Issue 1 Pages 31-39
Objective: To investigate the relationship between high risk of undernutrition and increased risk of physical and psychosocial health problems among older adults living alone.
Method: We conducted a questionnaire survey of older adults who were living alone in A-city and who attended a luncheon. We conducted multiple logistic regression analyses based on nutritional status, as evaluated by the Nutrition Screening Initiative, with responses to various items about physical and psychosocial health as the independent variables.
Results: Overall, 31.8% of participants were classified to be at high risk for malnourishment. Risk factors associated with malnutrition included “diabetes outpatient” (OR = 3.25, 95% CI: 1.41–7.52), “awareness of difficulty swallowing” (OR = 4.03, 95% CI: 1.79–9.09), “non self-rated health” (OR = 4.91, 95% CI: 2.32–10.40), “meeting friends less often than once a week” (OR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.23–4.64), and “asking family members to shop for groceries” (OR = 10.96, 95% CI: 1.06–113.82).
Discussion: About 30% of our participants were at (high risk for) undernutrition, which is as high as or higher than patients requiring long-term care in previous studies. Because malnutrition is associated with a history of diabetes, clinicians should ensure that patients attend diabetes appointments, and encourage them to attend health consultations. To mitigate malnutrition and related risks, older individuals living alone should receive support in shopping for groceries; it would also be helpful to expand social resources related to food.
