Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of undernutrition among communitydwelling elderly people in Spain using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and to analyse its distribution according to age, gender and residence region. Design: Cross-sectional study assessing the nutritional status of elderly persons through both the short form and the full version of the MNA test. Setting: Pharmacy offices across the whole country (Spain) were enrolled to recruit participants. Subjects: A total of 22 007 participants (8014 men and 13 993 women), aged $65 years, assessed during the last two months of 2005. Results: According to MNA screening, 4?3 % subjects were classified as undernourished (MNA score ,17) and 25?4 % were at risk of undernutrition (MNA score $17 to #23?5). The MNA short form correlated strongly with the full MNA version (r 5 0?85). MNA total score was significantly higher in men than in women (25?4 (SD 3?7) v. 24?6 (SD 3?9); P , 0?001) and lower in the oldest than in the youngest subjects (P , 0?001) in both genders. According to regional distribution, the best nutritional status was found in elderly from the north of Spain excluding the north-west area. Conclusions: Female gender, older age and living in the south half or northwest of the country were associated with higher rates of undernutrition among community-dwelling elderly persons in Spain.

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