It was observed that the prevalence of hypertension was higher among tribal adult population of Kerala and was associated with age, gender, education, HHs wealth index, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, and overweight/obesity.

The prevalence of chronic energy deficiency (CED = BMI < 18.5) among older adults (≥60 years) was assessed utilizing a large data set from a community-based cross-sectional study carried out in severely drought-affected rural areas of India. Anthropometric measurements (height, weight) were recorded for a total of 3,147 individuals, and a family diet survey (one day 24-hour recall) was carried out in 1,900 households (HHs) from 190 villages. As per the Body Mass Index (BMI), the prevalence of CED was 51.1% and 48.5% among older males and females, respectively. It was higher (p < 0.001) in the 70 years and older age group compared with those aged 60-69 years. In general, the prevalence of CED was higher (p < 0.001) for those belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes, for HHs of agricultural and non-agricultural labor, and for marginal or small farmers. The prevalence of CED was relatively lower (p > 0.05) among older adults during the drought period compared with the non-drought period. This could be attributed to intervention programs initiated by the government of India during the drought. These findings illustrate the value of intervention programs in drought-afflicted and drought-prone areas and underscore the importance of monitoring the nutritional status of older adults so that appropriate programs can be initiated as needed.

Nutritional status was assessed in 212 older individuals (> or =60 years of age) in a cross - sectional study carried out in desert areas of western Rajasthan during 2003. Heights and weights were recorded and a family diet survey (one-day, 24-hour recall) was carried out in 200 households (HHs) from 20 villages. Body Mass Index (BMI) was used to classify nutritional status. The prevalence of Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED = BMI < 18.5) was > or = 40% in desert areas of India, indicating a "very high" public health problem. It was higher among older women (52%) compared with men (42.4%) and higher in those belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes and in HHs of laborers, artisans, landless individuals, marginal farmers, and below poverty line families. CED did not differ (statistically) between the desert and plain areas of Rajasthan. CED prevalence among older adults in desert areas was actually lower (p < 0.001) than that found in their rural and tribal counterparts. Intervention programs initiated by the government may explain this finding. Our findings support the conclusion that regular nutritional monitoring of older adults in desert and drought prone areas is needed and can help appropriately target the need for intervention measures.

Objectives: World has witnessed a considerable increase in the proportion of elderly population. Aging is associated with decreased physical activity and metabolism and thereby the changes in the nutritional requirements of older adults. The objective of this communication was to assess the nutritional status of rural elderly population in India. Methodology: A community based cross-sectional study; adopting multistage stratified random sampling procedure was carried out by the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau (NNMB), during 2005-06 among the rural population of nine major states of India. A total of 3871 older adults were covered for anthropometry and of them, a total of 2138 older adults were covered for dietary assessment.