Nutritional status of free living and institutionalized elderly and associated factors in Trans Nzoia County, Kenya
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Date
2017-11
Authors
Anguba, Maumo Charles
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
Adequate nutrition, healthy ageing, and the ability to function independently are
essential components of a good quality of life. Though it is recognized that nutritional
challenges account for a significant proportion of elderly morbidity and mortality, less
has been determined on nutritional status of the old age men and women living freely
and in institutions. This study investigated the relationship between nutritional status
of the elderly and related factors in free living and institutionalized elderly of Trans
Nzoia County. It also determined the extent to which functional and dependence of the
Elderly impacts on their nutritional status. A semi-structured interview questionnaire,
Key Informant Interview guide, Focused Group Discussion guide and Observation
checklists were used to measure the nutritional status of the Elderly, individual and
structural activities affecting the Elderly nutrition status and the performance of
functional activities of daily living by the Elderly. Three hundred elderly men and
women who met the inclusion criteria were sampled, 69 from three institutions of the
Elderly and the other 231 from the seven sub-counties. Data were coded and entered in
Nutri Survey. Nutri Survey and QSR Nvivo were used to analyze data. Participants
were randomly selected with a response rate of 98.6% for the free living elderly and
97.2% for the institutionalized Elderly. Pearson’s product moment correlation and chisquare
were used to test the hypotheses. There was a significant relationship between
gender and Mid Upper Arm Circumference of the elderly (χ2 = 8.173, df = 2, P =
0.000) with the mean MUAC measure for women (0.67 ± 0.152) being higher than
that of men (0.61 ± 0.130), t = 6.414, df = 298, p = 0.732, t = 6.414, df = 298, p =
0.732. There were more (4%) obese free living elderly as compared to those in
institutions (0.7%). Majority of women (20.3%) had a MUAC of less than 21 cm as
compared to their male counterparts (7.5%), there was a significant relationship
between gender and MUAC of the elderly (χ2 = 8.173, df = 2, P = 0.000) with the
MUAC mean measure for women (0.67 ± 0.152) being higher than that of men (0.61 ±
0.130), t = 6.414, df = 298, p = 0.732. Majority (13.7%) of elderly who were
overweight reported to have a very poor health status as compared to only 1% of those
reporting to have a very good health status; with the results showing a significant
relationship between BMI and self-view of their health status (χ2 = 7.983, df = 3, P =
0.036), and a positive correlation between health status and BMI which was also
significant (r = 1.437, P = 0.051). Elderly nutritional status was being influenced by
sources of food with food from farms being mostly preferred (2.793 ± 2.640) than
food in institutions (2.991 ± 2.940) t = 1.313, df = 299, p =< 0.022. The greatest
impediment to the elderly acquisition of food was their culture with level of
significance indicating that the nutritional status mean measure for culture (2.493 ±
2.411) being higher than that of market reach (2.173 ± 2.319), t = 5.451, df = 299, p =
0.765. There were more dependent elderly in non-institutions (11%) as compared to
those in institutions. Functional ability of the elderly was found to be significant to
nutritional status (χ2 = 4.440, df = 4, P = 0.000). BMI was found to correlate
positively with bathing (r = 1.349, p = 0.006), money handling (r = 1.065, p = 0.024)
and bladder control (t = 1.334, p = 0.006). National and County governments should
develop elderly focused nutritional interventions geared towards combating
malnutrition.
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for award of the degree of master of public health (monitoring and evaluation) in the school of public health, Kenyatta University. November, 2017