Nutrition status and its associated factors among the elderly in a Vietnam rural medical center: A cross-sectional study

Background: Malnutrition is one of countless health risks for the elderly, especially in areas with difficult economic conditions. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the nutritional status of senior citizens visiting the district health center and identify the associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Ea H'leo District Medical Centre, Dak Lak Province in 2023. A total of 251 participants who visited the district medical centre for examination were interviewed. The nutritional status of the elderly was evaluated using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) scale. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with their nutritional status. Results: Among 251 elderly, 12% suffered from malnutrition, and 41.4% were at risk. Protective factors included having a university or postgraduate education level (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 0.08, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.01-0.7), poor economic status (AOR= 0.13, 95% CI: 0.03-0.6), married (AOR= 0.48, 95% CI: 0.2-0.9), good dental status (AOR= 0.33, 95% CI:0.1-0.8), and engaging in a regular exercise (AOR= 0.47, 95% CI: 0.3-0.8), whereas heavy physical activity was identified as a risk factor (AOR= 6.0, 95% CI: 1.1-32.3). Conclusion: There is a significant number of participants at risk of malnutrition. Providing support to improve difficult economic conditions and increasing access to nutritional healthcare knowledge are measures that help to reduce the risk of malnutrition and disease in the elderly.