title: Determinants of the nutritional status of older adults in urban Lebanon.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the nutritional status, and its association with sociodemographic factors, health and functional status of community-dwelling older adults living in the Greater Beirut area.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a cross-sectional study involving 905 randomly selected community dwelling older adults aged ≥65 years living in Greater Beirut (Beirut and surrounding suburbs). Participants completed a standardized questionnaire on sociodemographic factors, health characteristics, and functional and nutritional status, based on the Mini Nutritional Assessment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the older adults who participated in the study, 2.8% (95% CI 0.01-0.03) were malnourished, and 45.5% (95% CI 0.42-0.48) were at risk of malnutrition. Sociodemographic variables were not associated with the nutritional status. Variables significantly associated with poorer nutritional status were: poor perception of general health (OR 1.58, 95%CI 1.28-1.97), more chronic diseases (OR 2.05, 95% CI1.26-3.33), poor perception of oral health (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.14-1.61), depressive disorders (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.30-2.40), higher body mass index (OR 1.98, 95% CI1.67-2.34) and disability (OR 5.80, 95% CI 1.96-17.11).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study showed an unacceptable risk of malnutrition among Lebanese older adults, independent of age, sex and socioeconomic status. The presence of comorbidities, treated or not, affecting general and oral health emerged as major determinants of poor nutrition. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 424-432.
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmacy, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors: Rosy
authors: R
authors: Mitri
authors: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Pharmacy, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors: Christa
authors: C
authors: Boulos
authors: Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors: Salim M
authors: SM
authors: Adib
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D007861:Lebanon; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: Arab; Beirut; Middle East; geriatrics; gerontology