Health status and physical fitness of undernourished community-dwelling elderly people

This study was conducted to examine the prevalence of undernourished elderly in community-dwelling elderly people, and to analyze the correlation between under-nutritional status and health status and physical fitness of the elderly. The subjects comprised 1758 residents (757 men and 1001 women) aged 70 or over living in Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, who took part in an interview and biochemical blood examination as part of the "OTASHA-KENSHIN". In this study, we set the 'under-nutrition group' as serum albumin level 2 <= 3.8 g/dL (normal group serum albumin level >= 3.9g/dL). Based on this standard, 124 subjects (72 men and 52 women) were found to be undernourished. Physical fitness was measured by handgrip strength, knee extension power, and walking capability (usual and maximal walking speed). The prevalence of undernourished elderly was significantly higher in men than in women, and in those living alone or with a spouse compared with those living with children. It became clear that the lifestyle and health status of the under-nutrition group was generally poor compared with those of the normal group. Handgrip strength and knee extension power were significantly lower in the under-nutrition group than in the normal group of men. Although usual and maximal walking speed tended to be lower in the under-nutrition group, there was no significant difference. In women, a significant difference in handgrip strength, knee extension power, and walking capability was not seen between the two groups. These results suggest that an intervention program for the undernourished elderly living in the community should target an improvement not only of nutrition but also of physical fitness.