Nutritional status of the elderly in an arab country in social transition: The case of lebanon

Abstract

Lebanon is a small country located in the Middle East region which is undergoing rapid demographic transition. Among Arabic countries Lebanon has the fastest growing elderly population, and by the year 2025, older adults above 65 years are expected to represent more than 10% of the population. Nutrition is a key factor during the aging process and may help to prevent age-related diseases. However with increase in age, malnutrition is more frequent and might become an important health problem in the future. The prevalence of malnutrition among elderly people is particularly high in hospital environment and nursing homes compared to community settings, where mainly frail and dependent elderly are affected. Numerous factors are contributing to malnutrition such as age-related changes, social, physical, and psychological factors which are mostly acting in combination. The danger of malnutrition is related to its negative health consequences with increased risk of morbidity, functional decline, and decreased quality of life. Early detection and nutritional intervention may allow preventing negative health outcomes and increasing chance for healthy aging. This review presents the results of several surveys mainly carried out in the community and institutional settings. The principle goal of these studies was to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition and identify factors associated with malnutrition. The importance of increased awareness and early detection of malnutrition is highlighted.