Nutritional Status in Ticino Nursing Home Residents: Gender Differences and Age-Related Decline

Introduction: Malnutrition is a prevalent issue among nursing home residents, negatively impacting quality of life, increasing morbidity, and worsening clinical outcomes. Identifying factors associated with nutritional decline is essential for implementing effective interventions.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate gender differences in nutritional status and investigate the relationship between age and malnutrition risk using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA).

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 220 nursing home residents who underwent nutritional assessment using the MNA. Residents were classified into three categories: normonourished, at risk of malnutrition, and malnourished. Gender differences were analyzed using a chi-square test, and the relationship between age and nutritional status was assessed through Pearson’s correlation analysis.

Results: Significant differences in nutritional status were observed between genders as shown in [Table 1] (p=0.02). Furthermore, a significant inverse correlation was found between age and MNA score (r=-0.35, p<0.001). The mean age of normonourished residents was 84.5 years, increasing to 88.0 years in the at-risk group and 91.0 years in the malnourished group.

Table 1 

	Normal nourished	Risk of malnutrition	Malnourished	Total
Male	35 (43.8%)	30 (37.5%)	15 (18.8%)	80
Female	26 (18.6%)	75 (53.6%)	39 (27.9%)	140
Total	61 (27.7%)	105 (47.7%)	54 (24.5%)	220

Conclusion: The findings indicate that female residents are at a significantly higher risk of malnutrition than males. Additionally, nutritional status declines with advancing age, highlighting the need for age-specific and gender-sensitive nutritional interventions in nursing home populations. Targeted screening and early nutritional management strategies should be prioritized to prevent deterioration and improve overall health outcomes in this vulnerable group [1] [2].

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
25. Mai 2025

• References

• 1 Jyväkorpi S.K., Lindström M., Suominen M.H., Kautiainen H., Salminen K., Niskanen R.T., Pitkälä K.H., Roitto H-M.. Relationship between frailty, nutrition, body composition, quality of life, and gender in institutionalized older people. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research 2022; 34: 1357-1363
• 2 Neda Takhsha, Mostafa Shahraki Jazinaki, Alireza Gheflati, Pegah Rahbarinejad, Ali Jafarzadeh Esfehani, Abdolreza Norouzy (2024). Nutritional Status and Its Related Factors among Elderly Nursing Home Residents. Int J Nutr Sci. 2024 9. 210-216