Mayores que viven solos y malnutrición. Estudio SOLGER / The elderly living alone and malnutrition. SOLGER Study

Objetivo: Determinar si existe una relación entre vivir solo y padecer malnutrición o estar en riesgo de padecerla, en individuos mayores de 79 años de una población mediterránea. Diseño: Estudio transversal, multicéntrico en 3 centros de atención primaria (CAP), método encuesta, entre junio y diciembre de 2014. Participantes: Se incluyó a todos los pacientes de más de 79 años, asignados a un cupo de cada centro, con un total de 167 personas. Análisis estadístico: Mediante el paquete SPSS. Se ha realizado una primera parte descriptiva mediante la aplicación de chi cuadrado y varias t de Student, y una segunda fase donde se ha realizado una regresión logística para determinar si vivir solo estaba relacionado con el Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) ajustado a la edad. Resultados: Las puntuaciones del estudio nutricional mediante MNA no han mostrado diferencias entre los grupos atendiendo a la unidad familiar como factor diferencial. Por otro lado, la edad sí parece ser un factor determinante. Conclusión: Los pacientes mayores de 79 años que viven solos son en su mayoría independientes para las actividades de la vida diaria, suelen presentar un mejor estado de salud física y mental y, por tanto, esto puede explicar que presenten un mejor estado nutricional, no asociándose el vivir solo con estados de malnutrición o riesgo de padecerla (AU)

Objective: This study aims to determine if there are any connections between living alone and suffering from malnutrition or having a risk of being malnourished, in people over 79 years old in a Mediterranean population. Design: A questionnaire was used in a cross-sectional and multicentre study conducted between June and December 2014 in three Primary Care Centres (PCC). Participants: A quota was chosen for each centre, including all patients over 79 years, with a total of 167 people. Statistical analysis: Was performed using SPSS. A first descriptive part was performed by calculating Chi squared and Student-t tests, and a second part in which logistic regression was used to determine if living was only related to the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) adjusted to age. Results: The scores of the nutritional study by MNA showed no differences between the groups according to the family unit as a differentiating factor. On the other hand, age does seem to be a determining factor. Conclusion: Patients over 79 years old and who live alone are nearly always independent for daily life activities, and often have a better state of physical and mental health. These factors could explain their better nutritional status, as living alone is not associated with states of malnutrition or having the risk of suffer from it (AU)

[The elderly living alone and malnutrition. SOLGER Study]. / Mayores que viven solos y malnutrición. Estudio SOLGER.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine if there are any connections between living alone and suffering from malnutrition or having a risk of being malnourished, in people over 79years old in a Mediterranean population. DESIGN: A questionnaire was used in a cross-sectional and multicentre study conducted between June and December 2014 in three Primary Care Centres (PCC). PARTICIPANTS: A quota was chosen for each centre, including all patients over 79years, with a total of 167 people. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Was performed using SPSS. A first descriptive part was performed by calculating Chi squared and Student-t tests, and a second part in which logistic regression was used to determine if living was only related to the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) adjusted to age. RESULTS: The scores of the nutritional study by MNA showed no differences between the groups according to the family unit as a differentiating factor. On the other hand, age does seem to be a determining factor. CONCLUSION: Patients over 79years old and who live alone are nearly always independent for daily life activities, and often have a better state of physical and mental health. These factors could explain their better nutritional status, as living alone is not associated with states of malnutrition or having the risk of suffer from it.