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Background protein-energy malnutrition is a major health concern in home-dwelling older adults, particularly in the context of an ageing population. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken to determine the prevalence of malnutrition among older adults living independently in the community according to geographical region, sampling frame, rurality and sex. Methods six electronic databases were searched until September 2016. Original research studies which used the Mini Nutritional Assessment, Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment or Subjective Global Assessment to determine nutrition status in community samples with a mean age of ≥65 years were critically appraised and pooled using meta-analysis. Meta-regression was used to explore predictors of malnutrition prevalence in pooled statistics with high heterogeneity. Results 111 studies from 38 countries (n = 69,702 participants) were included. The pooled prevalence of malnutrition in the older community setting ranged from 0.8% (95% CI: 0.2–1.7%) in Northern Europe to 24.6% (95% CI: 0.0–67.9%) in South-East Asia. Of all sampling frames, participants receiving homecare services had the highest prevalence at 14.6% (95% CI: 9.9–20.0%). Malnutrition prevalence in rural communities (9.9%; 95% CI: 4.5–16.8%) was double that in urban communities (5.7%; 95% CI: 4.2–7.3%) and higher among females than males (odds ratio = 1.45 [95% CI: 1.27–1.66]; P < 0.00001). Conclusions the results of this review provide strategic insight to develop public and community health priorities for preventing malnutrition and associated poor health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background protein-energy malnutrition is a major health concern in home-dwelling older adults, particularly in the context of an ageing population. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis was undertaken to determine the prevalence of malnutrition among older adults living independently in the community according to geographical region, sampling frame, rurality and sex. Methods six electronic databases were searched until September 2016. Original research studies which used the Mini Nutritional Assessment, Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment or Subjective Global Assessment to determine nutrition status in community samples with a mean age of ≥65 years were critically appraised and pooled using meta-analysis. Meta-regression was used to explore predictors of malnutrition prevalence in pooled statistics with high heterogeneity. Results 111 studies from 38 countries (n = 69,702 participants) were included. The pooled prevalence of malnutrition in the older community setting ranged from 0.8% (95% CI: 0.2–1.7%) in Northern Europe to 24.6% (95% CI: 0.0–67.9%) in South-East Asia. Of all sampling frames, participants receiving homecare services had the highest prevalence at 14.6% (95% CI: 9.9–20.0%). Malnutrition prevalence in rural communities (9.9%; 95% CI: 4.5–16.8%) was double that in urban communities (5.7%; 95% CI: 4.2–7.3%) and higher among females than males (odds ratio = 1.45 [95% CI: 1.27–1.66]; P < 0.00001). Conclusions the results of this review provide strategic insight to develop public and community health priorities for preventing malnutrition and associated poor health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maternal and child undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies affect approximately half of the world's population. These conditions include intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), low birth weight, protein-energy malnutrition, chronic energy deficit of women, and micronutrient deficiencies. Although the rates of stunting or chronic protein-energy malnutrition are increasing in Africa, the absolute numbers of stunted children are much higher in Asia. The four common micronutrient deficiencies include those of iron, iodine, vitamin A, and zinc. All these conditions are responsible directly or indirectly for more than 50% of all under-5 deaths globally. According to more recent estimates, IUGR, stunting and severe wasting are responsible for one third of under-5 mortality. About 12% of deaths among under-5 children are attributed to the deficiency of the four common micronutrients. Despite tremendous progress in different disciplines and unprecedented improvement with many health indicators, persistently high undernutrition rates are a shame to the society. Human development is not possible without taking care to control undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. Poverty, food insecurity, ignorance, lack of appropriate infant and young child feeding practices, heavy burden of infectious illnesses, and poor hygiene and sanitation are factors responsible for the high levels of maternal and child undernutrition in developing countries. These factors can be controlled or removed by scaling up direct nutrition interventions and eliminating the root conditions including female illiteracy, lack of livelihoods, lack of women's empowerment, and poor hygiene and sanitation. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the international nutrition problem, with references to previous crisis in the world. It is stated that the present situation cannot be compared to the historical famines in the past. The causes and magnitude of the problem are quite different. The information available on the nutritional situation in the world at present is scanty, erratic and contradictory. The criteria used for such evaluation is not uniform, and this is the reason of the differences in the estimation of the magnitude of the problem. According to the analysis of 101 surveys conducted in 59 developing countries during the last 10 years, in which more than 260,000 children below 5 years were examined the percentage of cases of severe forms of malnutrition was of 2.3% and of moderate forms of 18.8%. However there are some areas where severe forms represent 10 or 20% of children examined. Taking only the most representative surveys (25 out of 59) a rough estimation of the total number of malnoursihed children in developing countries gives the figure of 10 millions of severe forms and 90 millions of moderate forms. The paper makes references to mortality trends in developing countries compared with the trends observed in developed countries. It is the view of the author that the recent dramatic decline on mortality in developing countries is due more to public health action, particularly the existence of new drugs, than to any significant improvement in the standard of living, including nutrition. A distinction is made on the differences between the biological needs of nutrients and the social satisfaction produced by food intake. In fact the biological needs are much less than the average consumption of the affluent society. It is suggested that in order to raise the standards of nutrition in developing countries it would perhaps be necessary to moderate the excessive consumption among other things, of proteins of animal origin in developed countries. Finally the author strongly recommend to intensify the action on nutrition at international, national and family level.