Objective: To assess correlates of mental and nutritional health among elderly in Lebanon, inside nursing homes compared to their private homes.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between June and August 2016 on 500 elderly.
Results: Higher somatic (Beta = 0.259) and cognitive anxiety (Beta = 0.508), increased age (Beta = 0.174) were significantly associated with higher depression, whereas having a secondary (Beta = -4.006) and a university (Beta = -6.829) levels of education compared to illiteracy, living home (Beta = -2.557) compared to living in a nursing home and male gender (Beta = -1.280) were significantly associated with lower depression. Increased BMI (Beta = 0.056), a married (Beta = 0.687) and a widowed (Beta = 1.022) status compared to a single status were associated with a better nutritional status, whereas an increased somatic anxiety (Beta = -0.061), secondary (Beta = -0.79) and university (Beta = -1.196) educational levels compared to illiteracy were significantly associated with a worse nutritional status. Increased cognitive (Beta = 1.160) and affective (Beta = 0.788) anxiety and age (Beta = 0.191) were associated with higher stress, whereas a primary (Beta = -6.991), secondary (Beta = -11.812) and university (Beta = -13.927) educational levels, male gender (Beta = -2.015) were significantly associated with lower stress compared to females. A significantly higher mean depression score was found in patients living in nursing homes compared to those living at home (13.74 vs. 11.18). No difference was found between the two groups concerning the nutritional status and stress score.
Conclusion: Living in nursing homes was associated with more malnutrition and depression. An increased awareness of the personnel working in nursing homes and family members of these older adults can help improve their psychological status.
Keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Nutritional status; Older adults; Stress.
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