Occurrence of Malnutrition in Low-Income Community-Dwelling Elderly in Riverside County, California.

Statement of Problem: Malnutrition is a frequent condition in institutionalized elderly but underestimated in the low-income community. An equally extensive study of malnutrition in low-income community-dwelling elderly is needed, in order to identify those at risk of malnutrition so intervention could be designed to prevent the development of malnutrition in this particular vulnerable group. Sources of Data : Data were collected from a convenience sample of elderly from a medical office in Riverside County, California. The first part of data collection involved a personal interview to cover the demographic, socioeconomic, and medical information elicited via the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) questionnaire. The second part of data collection was anthropometric measurements, specifically the obtaining of the weight and height of each participant. Conclusion Reached: Three independent variables, age (p=.031), depression (p=.000) and dementia (p=.001) showed statistical significance in affecting nutritional status in low-income community dwelling elderly in Riverside County, California.