Nutritional health status in residential homes for elderly people in Amman, Jordan.

Background: the nutritional status of an elderly is the accumulated result from a number of different factors impacting one another at different levels. Objectives: a primary intervention to evaluate the primary nutritional intakes of individuals in the residential homes. It also aims to describe the residents' health statuses, and to determine factors that can be independently associated with respect to under-and/or over-nutrition. Design: a cross-sectional study was performed on 9 residential homes for the elderly in Amman, Jordan. The nutritional status was\evaluated using anthropometric measurements. Food recalls were analyzed by ESHA. Results: the study included 139 residents (aged from 41 to 70+ years old). Malnutrition was not detected; inverse obesity was more common (average BMI was 45 kg/m²). Noncommunicable Chronic diseases were observed amongst most of the residents. Macronutrients and micronutrients intakes varied between age groups. Most of the micronutrients did not meet the dietary reference intake (DRI). Sodium intake was higher than the recommended level 4714 mg and Vitamin D intake was less 52.3 IU than the requirements for all of age groups. Conclusion: high energy intake as well as lack of sports/activities combined with non-communicable chronic diseases all becomes problematic health-wise for individuals in residential homes in Amman. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]