Predictors of undernutrition among the elderly in Sodo zuriya district Wolaita zone, Ethiopia

Background: In any society, the elderly are among the vulnerable and high risk groups with regard to health status. In persons over the age of 60 years, nutrition is among the important determinants of health. However, undernutrition among the elderly is often under diagnosed and/or neglected. Hence, in this study, we looked at prevalence and factors associated with undernutrition among the elderly.

Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted at Sodo Zuriya district. Multi-stage systematic sampling method was used to select 578 elderly. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographics, dietary diversity, and health status of the elderly.Measurements of weight and height were taken using digital weighing scale and stadio-meter, respectively. Data was entered and cleaned in Epi-Data version3.1and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Binary and multivariate logistic regressions were done and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated.

Results: The overall prevalence of undernutrition was 17.1%. On multivariate logistic regression, being unable to read and write (AOR = 2.09), not being married (AOR = 2.02), history of decline in food intake (AOR = 2.1), smoking (AOR = 4.9) and monthly income <$20 (AOR = 7.5) were factors positively associated with undernutrition.

Conclusion: The study revealed that prevalence of undernutrition in the district was relatively high. Hence, it is among the major public health burdens in the district. Hence, to improve nutritional status of elderly the district health office and health professionals should consider behavioral support interventions to assist in cessation of smoking. There is also a need to financially empower the elderly in the district.