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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Boston, Massachusetts » Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center On Aging » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #166757
Title: NUTRITIONAL RISK ASSESSMENT AND OBESITY IN RURAL OLDER ADULTS: A SEX DIFFERENCE

Author
item LEDIKWE, JENNY - PENN STATE UNIVERSITY
item SMICIKLAS-WRIGHT, HELEN - PENN STATE UNIVERSITY
item MITCHELL, DIANE - PENN STATE UNIVERSITY
item JENSEN, GORDON - VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
item FRIEDMANN, JANET - US DEPT OF AGRICULTURE
item STILL, CHRIS - GEISINGER HEALTH SYSTEM

Submitted to: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2002
Publication Date: 3/1/2003
Citation: Ledikwe, J.H., Smiciklas-Wright, H., Mitchell, D.C., Jensen, G.L., Friedmann, J.M., Still, C.D. 2003. Nutritional risk assessment and obesity in rural older adults: a sex difference. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 77(3): 551-558, 2003

Interpretive Summary: Many older adults are overweight or obese; it is unclear if being overweight or obese is related to nutritional risk. Body composition is associated with lower diet quality, lower intake of nutrients, and biomarkers of nutritional status. This trend was more evident within females. From this study it is suspected that overweight and obese women are at greater nutritional risk than men and interventions should be targeted accordingly.

Technical Abstract: Many older Americans are overweight or obese, but it is unclear whether obesity is associated with other nutritional risk indicators. This study investigated sex-associated differences in nutritional risk among community-dwelling, rural older adults and determined whether weight status [body mass index (BMI; in kg/m(2)) and waist circumference] was related to other measures of nutritional risk. This cross-sectional study explored relations between weight status and nutritional risk, which was determined on the basis of the Level II Screen, overall diet quality, nutrient intakes, and plasma biomarkers. Of the 179 subjects, 44% were overweight (BMI 25-29.9) and 35% were obese (BMI > 30). There were few differences in nutrient intakes between older men and women after we controlled for energy intake. In women, BMI was directly associated with multiple additional nutritional risk indicators, including the number of Level II items (r = 0.30), intakes of fat (r = 0.26) and saturated fat (r = 0.21), and homocysteine concentration (r = 0.25). Weight status in women was inversely associated with intakes of carbohydrates (r = -0.25), fiber (r = -0.35), folate (r = -0.24), magnesium (r = -0.29), iron (r = -0.22), and zinc (r = -0.23); Healthy Eating Index scores (r = -0.22); and plasma pyridoxal 5' phosphate (r = -0.30). Associations with waist circumference were similar. In men, weight status was associated only with plasma cobalamin (r = -0.33 for BMI) and pyridoxal 5' phosphate (r = -0.24 for waist circumference). Overweight and obese older women, particularly those living alone, may be at greater nutritional risk than are men with a high BMI. Targeted nutritional intervention emphasizing nutrient-dense food choices to improve dietary patterns may be warranted.