Nutritional Status and its Associated Factors among Elderly Population in Suryabinayak Municipality, Bhaktapur, Nepal

Background:Malnutrition, which compromise immunity and functional ability jeopardizing quality of life, is common in elderly. The Sustainable Development Goals focus on healthy and active aging rather than just longevity, with nutrition being a key component to achieving this. This study aimed to determine the nutritional status and its associated fators among the elderly population ofSuryabinayak municipality, Bhaktapur, Nepal. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used to study elderly population of 60 years and above from September 2022 to March 2023. Multistage cluster random sampling with probability proportionate to size was applied to select 473 samples. A face-to-face structured interview was conducted by using standard questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements were also performed. The test of association between nutritional status and related variables was performed using binary and multiple logistic regression. Results: Among 473 participants, 53.1% were at risk of malnutrition and 12.3% were malnourished. The mean quality of life score was 26.4±4.3. Age more than 70 years (AOR: 3.12, 95% CI: 1.76-5.56), those with non-paid occupation (home makers) (AOR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.02-3.24), belonging to the lower socio-economic status (AOR: 2.27, 95% CI: 1.52-3.80), and smokers (AOR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.02-2.60) were found to be the predictors of malnutrition. There was a significant positive correlation between nutritional status and quality of life (r=0.612). Conclusion: The elderly population is at high risk of malnutrition in Suryabinayak municipality. Periodic assessment of nutritional status helps to identify elderly who are at risk of malnutrition at its initial stage, and early preventive measure can improve their quality of life.