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Background: Malnutrition and dehydration are two most common types of ailments residents of nursing homes (NH) prone to. It is very important to assess these problems because they can predispose the residents to severe illnesses. The aim of this study was to gather information on nutritional status and its associated risk factors in elderly residents of NHs in Tehran, Iran. Methods: From 16 NHs in Tehran, 263 residents were randomly selected. Data were collected via questionnaires, including demographic characteristics, past medical history, present health problems and daily routines. The MNA questionnaire was used to gather information regarding their nutritional status. Results: The present study showed that 10.3% of the elderly residents in nursing homes were malnourished. 66.4% of males and 70.8% of females were at risk of malnutrition. Multivariate analysis showed that after adjusting for confounders the following elderly-related factors were the independent risk factors of malnutrition: consuming half or less than of the food (OR=8.0, 95%CI=3.7-17.7), having no teeth or good prosthesis (OR=1.7, 95%CI=1.1-2.7), diabetes (OR=1.6, 95%CI=1.1-2.4), smoking (OR=0.6, 95%CI=0.3-1.2), studying (OR=0.4 95%CI=0.2-0.9) and praying in their free time (OR=1.8 95%CI=1.2-2.6). Conclusion: The subjects' health-related factors and their free-time activities and nutritional behavior are the most important factors associated with poor nutrition among elderly residents of NHs; however, further investigation is needed to clarify the role of other factors in maintaining a suitable nutritional plan for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The most common geriatric psychiatric disorder is depression, known to be a multi factorial disorder. However, the influence of common preventable factors is yet to be discovered. This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of depression and some possible risk factors in elderly residents of nursing homes in Iran. Methods: Data on demographic characteristics, nutritional and health status of 244 residents aged 60 years or older were collected from seventeen nursing homes in Tehran, Iran, during 2010 to 2012. Depression was assessed and classified according to the 15-item GDS. Univariate and then multivariate complex sample survey ordinal regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between depression and the risk factors. Results: The average age of the 244 cases studied was 75.8 (±8.7) years, 53.3% were female (of whom 74.2% were housewives), 43.4% illiterate, and 32.0% were divorced or were living separately. The percentages of non-depressed, mild, moderate and severe depression were 9.8%, 50.0%, 29.5% and 10.7%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that dissatisfaction with personnel of nursing homes and food quality had odds ratios of 2.91 (1.33-6.36) and 2.64 (1.44-4.87), corresponding to greater odds of having a higher grade depression. Moreover, those who rested or walked had significantly higher risk of a more severe depression in comparison with those who did not (OR of 2.25 (1.50-3.38) and 1.98 (1.24-3.18), respectively), however, studying had a protective odds ratio of 0.17 (0.13-0.22). Conclusion: Depression was very common in our sample and their lifestyle influenced its prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]