India is considered a young country but the United Nations projects that Indians over the age of 60 years will constitute almost 19.6 per cent of the total population by 2050 which will be huge in absolute numbers. One of the biggest challenges from the impending shift in demographics will be in the realm of health. As the number of elderly increases, so too will their health needs.
Malnutrition in the elderly is a major public health concern and has serious implications on the overall health of the elderly. There are very few community-based studies on malnutrition among the elderly, especially in India. Estimating and managing the nutritional status of the elderly population is important because it will reduce the medical burden on the country’s economy, increase the work efficiency of elderly people and promote healthy aging.
The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence and correlates of malnutrition among community dwelling elderly aged 60 years and above in the city of Lucknow in Northern part of India using Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). It is a preliminary study based on data of 100 participants from the first round of fieldwork. A semi-structured interview schedule was used to record sociodemographic and other relevant personal details of the elderly participants and for nutritional assessment, MNA scale was used.
