Undernutrition as a major risk factor for death among older Brazilian adults in the community-dwelling setting: SABE survey

• Published in: Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) Vol. 27; no. 10; pp. 1017 - 1022
• Main Authors: Ferreira, Luciana Silva, Ph.D, do Amaral, Teresa Freitas, Ph.D, Marucci, Maria de Fátima Nunes, Ph.D, Nascimento, Luiz Fernando Costa, Ph.D, Lebrão, Maria Lúcia, Ph.D, Duarte, Yeda Aparecida de Oliveira, Ph.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01-10-2011; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Age; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Biological and medical sciences; Brazil - epidemiology; Cardiovascular diseases; Cause of Death; cerebrovascular disorders; Children & youth; chronic diseases; confidence interval; Confidence Intervals; Coronary Disease - mortality; Death; Depression - mortality; Diabetes Mellitus - mortality; elderly; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gastroenterology and Hepatology; Gender; Health Surveys; Health, Well-being and Ageing (SABE) survey; Housing; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertension - mortality; Income; Lung Diseases - mortality; Male; Malnutrition; Malnutrition - complications; Malnutrition - mortality; Mens health; Middle Aged; Mini-Nutritional Assessment; Mortality; Multivariate analysis; Muscle Strength; myocardial ischemia; Neoplasms - mortality; Nutrition assessment; Odds Ratio; Older adults; Older people; Population density; regression analysis; Residence Characteristics; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Smoking; smoking (habit); Studies; surveys; Survival analysis; Undernutrition; Vascular diseases; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Womens health; Brazil; Latin America; Death; Health, Well-being and Ageing (SABE) survey; Older adults; Undernutrition; Mini-Nutritional Assessment; Human; Senescence; Nutrition; Health; Ageing; Nutrition disorder; Well being; Vertebrata; Survey; Mammalia; Risk factor; Adult; Malnutrition; Community
• ISSN: 0899-9007; 1873-1244
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nut.2010.11.008

Abstract Objective To investigate the independent association between undernutrition and death in older adults in a community-dwelling setting. Methods This retrospective study was based on the Health, Well-being and Ageing survey conducted in 2000 that included 1170 older adults (≥60 y) from São Paulo, Brazil. Death occurrences were considered through March, 2007. The variables analyzed were undernutrition (Mini-Nutritional Assessment), gender, income, muscle strength, hip fracture, smoking habits, cancer, depression, diabetes, coronary heart disease, chronic lung disease, cerebral vascular disease, and hypertension. A hierarchical multivariate analysis by logistic regression was performed according to age groups (60–74 and ≥75 y). Results Undernutrition frequency was higher in adults ≥75 y old (2.6% versus 2.4%). The frequency of death in undernourished subjects was higher in the 60- to 74-y-old group (7.6%) than in those ≥75 y old (3.9%). Undernutrition was the strongest independent risk factor for death ( P < 0.05) in the 60- to 74-y-old group (odds ratio 6.05, 95% confidence interval 5.76–6.35) and in the ≥75-y-old group (odds ratio 2.76, 95% confidence interval 2.51–3.04). All other variables were also associated with death, except for hip fracture and cerebral vascular disease, in the two age groups and hypertension in the 60- to 74-y-old group; however, the effect of these variables was less. Conclusion Undernutrition represented the strongest risk factor for death in Brazilian community-dwelling older adults 60 to 74 y old and showed a stronger association than for adults ≥75 y old.