Psychosocial and functional correlates of nutrition among community-dwelling older adults in Ireland.

OBJECTIVES

To examine psychosocial and functional correlates of nutrition in a nonrandom sample of Irish community-dwelling older adults.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional observational study.

SETTING

Technology Research for Independent Living (TRIL) Clinic, a comprehensive geriatric assessment facility in St James's Hospital, Dublin. Data were collected from participants by medical personnel (physical assessments) and psychologists (questionnaires), between August 2007 and May 2009.

PARTICIPANTS

556 participants (388 females; 168 males) ranging in age from 60-92 years (Mean 72.5 years, SD 7.1). All were community-dwelling and provided informed consent.

MEASUREMENTS: The Nestlé Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA®), Time to get up and go (TUG) and the Lubben Social Network Scale-18 (LSNS-18) were used to assess nutrition, functional mobility and social support.

METHODS

Multivariate binary logistic regression was used to examine the association between social support or mobility and nutritional status, whilst controlling for possible confounders (age, gender, living alone and material deprivation).

RESULTS

The strongest predictors of abnormal nutritional status were mobility (p < 0.001) and social support (p = 0.005). Other significant predictors of nutritional risk were age (p = 0.032) and deprivation (p = 0.018).

CONCLUSION

The results emphasise the importance of mobility and social supports in mediating nutritional outcomes in Irish community-dwelling older adults.