A Survey on Nutritional Status in Elderly with Diabetes

Aim: Malnutrition prevalence is unknown among elderly patients with diabetes. Nutrition therapy is an essential component in the treatment program for diabetics. Malnutrition is a clinical disorder and a common risk factor in older patients with diabetes, which can affect their health. The main purpose of this article is to evaluate the nutritional condition of elderly with diabetes in Babol City, Iran.
This cross-sectional study was done in Babol City during January-April 2017 on 200 older patients with diabetes. Malnutrition was assessed with the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) approach. The patients were followed up until discharge. Data analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics methodology, and correlation among variables was determined by the Chi-square, T-test, and One Way ANOVA.
Findings: The results showed that about 50% of the elderly patients were suffering from malnutrition, and 20% had normal nutritional status, and approximately 30% were exposed to malnutrition.
It is possible to identify people at risk for malnutrition. These individuals are suffering from malnutrition more likely due to lower level of caloric intake that can be easily corrected by nutritional intervention. It is necessary to improve the status of elderly diabetic patients with malnutrition suffering by administering normal nutritional status and special attention.