Variation in nutritional risk among Mexican American and non-Mexican American homebound elders who receive home-delivered meals.
Good nutritional health is essential to prevent functional decline and improve quality of life. Little is known of disparities in the extent of risk for poor nutritional health among homebound Mexican American (MA) elders who receive Older American Act Nutrition Program (OAANP) home-delivered meals. In order to assist OAANP service providers in understanding racial/ethnic differences in nutritional risk, this study examined routinely collected data on 908 homebound MA and non-MA in the Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley. Homebound MA were more likely to report poverty, risk factors for and indicators of poor nutritional health. Independent of poverty and covariates,MA were more likely to report very high nutritional risk. This underscores the importance of understanding racial/ethnic disparities in the extent of risk for poor nutritional health for the development, implementation, and evaluation of effective strategies to alleviate nutritional health disparities.
Sharkey
Joseph R
JR
School of Rural Public Health, Texas A&M University Health Science Center and Graduate Faculty of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77840, USA. jrsharkey@srph.tamushsc.edu
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005522:Food Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D006304:Health Status; D018577:Homebound Persons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011203:Poverty; D012307:Risk Factors; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology