Nutrition and Health Status of Elderly People in Bangladesh: Evidence From a Nationwide Survey

OBJECTIVES: Though Bangladesh is passing through demographic, epidemiologic and nutritional transitions, national estimates on nutrition and health status of the elderly population are largely unknown. We aimed to determine the status of selected health and nutrition indicators among the elderly population in Bangladesh. METHODS: For the first time in Bangladesh, we included elderly population (≥60 years old females and males) as a separate population group in the national food security and nutrition surveillance round 2018–2019. We collected data on dietary diversity, nutritional status, behavioral risk factors of non-communicable diseases, blood pressure, and self-reported chronic diseases from 4,818 elderly people (48% female) living in 82 clusters (57 rural, 15 non-slums urban, and 10 slums) randomly selected from eight administrative division of Bangladesh. RESULTS: Majority (59% in rural, 53% in non-slum urban, and 69% in slums) of elderly people were consuming an inadequately diverse (4 or less food groups out of 10) diet. Overall, 89% of elderly people were malnourished (20%) or at risk of malnutrition (69%). The highest prevalence of malnutrition was in Mymensingh division (37%) followed by Sylhet division (27%). The prevalence of obesity was 5%, 16%, and 11%, in rural, non-slum urban, and slums, respectively. The national prevalence of smoking, smokeless tobacco consumption, physical inactivity was 18%, 52%, and 38%, respectively. There was a high burden of hypertension (49% in rural, 53% in non-slum urban, and 39% in slums). Overall, 16% of elderly people had heart diseases, 14% had chronic respiratory diseases, 3% had kidney diseases, 9% had diabetes, 8% had stroke, 0.5% had cancer and 1.4% had mental health problems. CONCLUSIONS: The government of Bangladesh should design and implement health and nutrition programs among the elderly population. The regional differences in the prevalence of health and nutrition indicators should be considered while designing such programs. FUNDING SOURCES: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Bangladesh