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OBJECTIVE: To determine the psychosocial and health determinants associated with malnutrition risk (MR) among older adults living in the community of Mexico City, Mexico. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. Secondary analysis was performed on the data of adults who were 60 or more years of age, living in the metropolitan area of Mexico city, and had participated in the multi-city study on Health, Wellbeing, and Aging in 1999 and 2000. Information on 820 participants was analyzed (mean age 69.7 +/- 7.6 years; 62.9% female). In addition to the MR (dependent variable) that was established through a basic nutrition evaluation, the following variables were analyzed: sociodemographics, body mass index, comorbidity, symptoms of depression, oral health, mental function, functional capability, among others. Independent associations from among the variables and the MR were calculated by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were determined. RESULTS: MR was present in 261 (31.8%) participants. The univariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for possible confounding variables showed that the following variables demonstrated significant and independent associations with MR among the study sample population: not having a pension (adjusted OR = 1.45; 95%CI: 1.01 - 2.38); feeling that one did not have enough money to live on (adjusted OR = 2.52; 95%CI: 1.69 - 3.74); having osteoarthritis (adjusted OR = 2.34; 95%CI: 1.42 - 3.85); having a low body mass index (adjusted OR = 0.89; 95%CI: 0.85 - 0.93); having symptoms of depression (adjusted OR = 5.41; 95%CI: 1.90 - 15.34); eating only once daily (adjusted OR = 12.95; 95%CI: 5.19 - 32.28) or twice daily (adjusted OR = 3.27; 95%CI: 2.18 - 4.9); and having physical difficulty with getting to bed (adjusted OR = 3.25; CI 95%: 1.58 - 6.68), going out alone (adjusted OR = 2.70; CI 95%: 1.54 - 4.73), and using the telephone (adjusted OR = 1.95; CI 95%: 1.10 - 3.43). CONCLUSIONS: There are multiple and various determinants of malnutrition risk. To determine MR, the older adult's financial and social situation must be carefully evaluated along with the more traditional health and anthropometric information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To identify factors associated with dependence for basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in elderly adults in Mexico. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of data from the first round of Mexico's National Study on Health and Aging, 2001, was undertaken. The sample consisted of 7 171 participants, 60 years of age or older. Multifactorial regression analysis was used to identify associations between BADL and IADL dependence and lifestyle, sociodemographics, family background, and health history, from childhood to present. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 69.4 +/- 7.6 years of age, with a range of 60-105 years; females made up 53.4% of the sample. The BADL- and IADL-dependent groups had a higher mean age (P < 0.01), were predominantly female (P < 0.01), had a greater incidence of illiteracy, and reported a significantly higher number of chronic diseases and greater frequency of pain than did the independent participants. Among the 521 (7.3%) BADL-dependent, there was a higher percentage who were single or widowed (P < 0.01), and their self-assessed health was poorer, than that of the independent (P < 0.01). Among the 603 (8.4%) IADL-dependent, significant, independently associated factors were age, cerebrovascular and other chronic diseases, depression, vision issues, excessive pain, and amputation of a limb. Absence of childhood trauma and fewer years of employment were related to a lower incidence of IADL dependence. CONCLUSIONS: Functional dependence in older adults is directly related to aging and has multiple determinants. Awareness of these determinants should help design health programs that can identify individuals who are at high risk of losing their independence, and implement interventions for slowing or reversing the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]