[Nutritional status of the population over 65 years of age in the city of Badajoz]

Introduction: Nutritional status is strongly associated with the level of health and quality of life of the population, and is especially relevant in the case of the elderly.

Objective: The aim was to study the nutritional status in a population of non-institutionalised over 65 year-olds in the city of Badajoz, describing the sociodemographic variables, biochemical parameters, and functional assessment.

Material and methods: A descriptive study was performed using a design population, which was randomised and stratified in health centres of the city, with a sample size of 298 patients being obtained. The sociodemographic variables included gender, age, educational level, anthropometric analysis with estimated body mass index, and percentage fat weight. Statistical tests were performed using SPSS v.15 statistical package.

Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity as measured by fat weight was 61.9% (56.1-67.8), with a body mass index of 65.8% (60.2-71.4). It was higher in women, with a fat weight of 67.3% (2.56 to 2.73) and a body mass index of 71.8% (2.64 to 2.78). The nutritional status of the population according to the questionnaire "Know your nutritional health" was rated "good".

Conclusion: The most common nutritional problem in the non-institutionalised population over 65 years in the city of Badajoz is obesity, especially in women, and in people with low educational level. This high prevalence suggests that health education on a better lifestyle in this population should be a priority.