Prevalence of Malnutrition and Depression in Older Adults Living in Nursing Homes in Mexico City

Abstract

This study evaluated the association between nutritional status, depressive symptoms, and the number of prescription drugs taken by older adults living in nursing homes in Mexico City. In a cross-sectional study, 262 participants were subjected to anthropometric and nutritional (Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA)) evaluations; additionally, their depression (Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)) and functional status were assessed. Multiple logistic regression was used for identifying factors associated with the risk of malnutrition/malnourishment. The mean age of participants was 83.1 ± 8.6 years. A total of 59.9% and 21.1% were at risk of malnutrition and malnourished, respectively. With respect to depression, 27.9% of the participants had mild depression, while 11.4% showed severe depression. An inverse correlation between MNA evaluations and depression scores was found (Spearman’s ρ = −0.4624, p < 0.001); residents with a better nutritional status had lower depression scores. Individuals with depressive symptoms were approximately five times more likely to be at risk of malnutrition or malnourished (OR = 5.82, 95% CI = 2.27–14.89) than individuals without depression. Residents taking three or more prescription drugs daily (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 1.27–2.63, p < 0.001) were more likely to be at risk of malnutrition or malnourished. In summary, poor nutritional status was associated with depression, while the intake of numerous prescription drugs was associated with being at risk of malnutrition or malnourished.

Association of Lower Nutritional Status and Education Level with the Severity of Depression Symptoms in Older Adults—A Cross Sectional Survey

“…Firstly, the study group was restricted to Central-European community-dwelling older individuals therefore results may be different in other cultures. Correlations of nutritional status and depression may also be different in the institutionalized environments [ 51 , 52 ]. Secondly, no tests were conducted among people with severe dementia or those who were not able to present at the clinic due to mobility problems.…”

Association between polypharmacy and depression: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Four studies were not included in the meta-analysis so they were only used for qualitative summary: one study 22 used the same database as a study that was included in the meta-analysis; 23 three other studies reported data that could not be pooled because of the too-small number of articles (two studies reported the association between polypharmacy and depression as Pearson's correlation coefficient (r), 24,25 and the other study reported the number of medications used by depressed and nondepressed patients 26 ). All of the included studies were observational, 19 of them were cross-sectional, [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39] and four of them were prospective cohorts. [40][41][42][43] The characteristics of the 23 articles are summarised in Table 1.…”

Assessment of Body Composition and Dietary Intake in Nursing-Home Residents: Could Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic Be Used to Prevent Future Casualties in Older Individuals?

“…A low intake of nutrient-dense foods places older adults at risk for malnutrition, especially protein and micronutrient deficiencies [ 11 , 21 ]. Furthermore, nutritional deficiencies, due to physiological changes (impaired mastication, swallowing, digestion, absorption, and utilization of nutrients); the presence of chronic diseases; and the influence of social and psychological factors [ 6 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 22 ] are even more pronounced in nursing homes, but are often neglected [ 23 , 24 ]. Nursing home residents (NHRs) are also more vulnerable to specific nutritional deficiencies because of the process of institutionalization itself, influencing food acceptance [ 25 ], eating habits, and behavior [ 26 ].…”