Nutritional Status of Diabetic Individuals Aged 60 Years and Older and Associated Factors in Conakry University Hospitals

Abstract

Ibrahima Kaba, Fanta Toure, Amadou Cheik Tidiane Ouattara and Aboubakar Sidiki Ouattara

Aging modifies the metabolic functions and nutritional status of elderly people; however, in the Republic of Guinea, few studies have been conducted on the nutritional status of elderly people, especially those suffering from diabetes. The objective of this work was to evaluate the nutritional status of individuals aged 60 and above with diabetes in the university hospitals of Conakry. Methodology: The study was descriptive cross-sectional, the variables analyzed were socio-economic, anthropometric on the assessment of the nutritional status of people aged 60 years and over through BMI, MNA-SF and MUAC. Results: A total of 149 people aged 60 years and over were surveyed in Donka and Ignace Deenn University Hospitals. The average age was 66.66±6.69 years; that of the nutritional status assessment tools BMI, MNA-SF and MUAC were respectively 26.56±5.96 kg/m2, 10.12±2.3, 28.77±5.27 cm. The overall mean blood glucose level was 201.43±98.03 mg/dl and that of women was 207.24±108.18 mg/dl, 120 (80.54%) elderly subjects were obese according to MUAC, 54 (36.24%) elderly people were overweight and 83 (55.70%) subjects were at risk of malnutrition. In the age group of 60 to 69 years, 45.5% were underweight, 76.8% were overweight, among the obese 82.9% were in this group, that of 80 years and over had 2.9% who suffered from obesity. Malnutrition affected 54.5% of men, compared to 74.3% of women who were obese, 69.6% of married people were overweight. However, 65.7% of this group suffered from obesity. Age, sex, marital status, household size, occupation, income possession and monthly income amount had no significant association with BMI. However, education level had a significant influence on BMI (p = 0.028). Age, household size were significantly related to nutritional status via the MNA-SF. 51.8% and 62.2% of women were respectively at risk of malnutrition and malnourished, 54.2% of those who were not in school were at risk of being underweight, while 8.9% of elderly subjects who had a higher education level suffered from thinness. 46.3% of elderly diabetics suffering from malnutrition had a monthly income between one and two million Guinean francs (62,500 to 12,500 CFA francs). Nutritional status assessment tools were not related to blood glucose levels; the OR for BMI was -0.821 with a 95% confidence interval of -4.160 to 2.517.

Conclusion: The elderly diabetics in this study largely presented an impaired nutritional status. Knowledge of nutritional profiles is essential for the management and the regular monitoring of elderly diabetics

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