Association Between Nutritional Scores and BMI Among Elderly in Shanghai Communities: A Community Health Survey

Background: Population aging intensifies the public health challenge of malnutrition among the elderly, who face both undernutrition and overnutrition. The relationship between BMI and nutritional status in urban Chinese elderly remains underexplored. Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between Body Mass Index (BMI) and Mini-Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF) scores among community-dwelling elderly in Shanghai. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from January 2019 to January 2023, involving 106 elderly residents aged ≥60 years. Data on demographics, BMI, and MNA-SF scores were collected. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and simple linear regression. Results: The mean age was 70.89 ± 6.56 years, with 75.5% females. Mean BMI was 22.85 ± 3.13 kg/m²; 30.2% were overweight and 7.5% underweight. The mean MNA-SF score was 12.23 ± 1.50, with 29.2% at risk of malnutrition. A significant positive correlation was found between BMI and nutritional score (r = 0.504, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Linear regression showed BMI positively predicted nutritional score (β = 0.243, <i>p</i> < 0.001), with the equation: Nutritional Score = 6.679 + 0.243 × BMI (R² = 0.254). Conclusion: BMI is positively associated with nutritional scores among Shanghai community-dwelling elderly. However, reliance solely on BMI may overlook hidden malnutrition risks in overweight individuals. Community health strategies should integrate comprehensive nutritional assessments for targeted interventions.