Melaney T Tkatch1, Andy J Towers2, Heather H Keller3, Carol A Wham1. 1. School of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand. 2. School of Health Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. 3. Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging, Waterloo, ON, Canada.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the nutrition risk prevalence and associated health and social risk factors amongst community-living Māori and non-Māori older adults in New Zealand. METHODS: As part of the 2014 Health, Work and Retirement postal survey, 2914 community-living older adults (749 Māori) aged 49-87 years completed the Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition (SCREEN II-AB) to determine nutrition risk status and sociodemographic and health measures. RESULTS: Half (50.2%) of Māori and 32.7% of non-Māori were at nutrition risk. Independent risk factors were as follows: for Māori, being unpartnered and rating general health as fair, and for non-Māori, being unpartnered and rating general health as fair or poor, lower life satisfaction, higher number of health conditions and emotional loneliness. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the need for culturally appropriate intervention strategies, which provide opportunity for older adults to eat with others, especially for those who are unpartnered and lonely.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the nutrition risk prevalence and associated health and social risk factors amongst community-living Māori and non-Māori older adults in New Zealand. METHODS: As part of the 2014 Health, Work and Retirement postal survey, 2914 community-living older adults (749 Māori) aged 49-87 years completed the Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition (SCREEN II-AB) to determine nutrition risk status and sociodemographic and health measures. RESULTS: Half (50.2%) of Māori and 32.7% of non-Māori were at nutrition risk. Independent risk factors were as follows: for Māori, being unpartnered and rating general health as fair, and for non-Māori, being unpartnered and rating general health as fair or poor, lower life satisfaction, higher number of health conditions and emotional loneliness. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the need for culturally appropriate intervention strategies, which provide opportunity for older adults to eat with others, especially for those who are unpartnered and lonely.