title: Assessment of the nutritional status of residents in homes for the elderly in Lattakia, Syrian Arab Republic.
abstract: Malnutrition is common among residents of homes for the elderly. This study aimed to identify the nutritional status of people in residential homes for the elderly in Lattakia, Syrian Arab Republic, and to determine the factors that affected nutritional status in these homes. A total of 103 elderly people in 3 residential homes were interviewed individually using an Arabic version of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) scale, and anthropometric measurements were carried out to assess nutritional status. The mean age was 70.9 (SD 6.4) years. Two-thirds of residents were either at risk of malnutrition (39.8%; score 17-23 on the MNA) or malnourished (19.4%; score < 17 on the MNA). Mean body mass index was 22.0 (SD 4.7) kg/m(2). Nutritional status was significantly affected by age, level of education, source of income, duration of stay in the home, number of diseases, number of medicines taken, anthropometric data and teeth and vision problems.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syrian Arab Republic.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Hallaj
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000886:Anthropometry; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D013593:Syria