In any society, the elderly are among the vulnerable and high risk groups with regard to health status. In persons over the age of 60 years, nutrition is among the important determinants of health. However, undernutrition among the elderly is often under diagnosed and/or neglected. Hence, in this study, we looked at prevalence and factors associated with undernutrition among the elderly. A community based cross-sectional study was conducted at Sodo Zuriya district. Multi-stage systematic sampling method was used to select 578 elderly. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographics, dietary diversity, and health status of the elderly. Measurements of weight and height were taken using digital weighing scale and stadio-meter, respectively. Data was entered and cleaned in Epi-Data version3.1and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Binary and multivariate logistic regressions were done and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The overall prevalence of undernutrition was 17.1%. On multivariate logistic regression, being unable to read and write (AOR = 2.09), not being married (AOR = 2.02), history of decline in food intake (AOR = 2.1), smoking (AOR = 4.9) and monthly income <$20 (AOR = 7.5) were factors positively associated with undernutrition. The study revealed that prevalence of undernutrition in the district was relatively high. Hence, it is among the major public health burdens in the district. Hence, to improve nutritional status of elderly the district health office and health professionals should consider behavioral support interventions to assist in cessation of smoking. There is also a need to financially empower the elderly in the district.

中文翻译：

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埃塞俄比亚 Sodo zuriya 区 Wolaita 区老年人营养不良的预测因素

在任何社会中，老年人都是健康状况方面的弱势和高危人群。在 60 岁以上的人中，营养是健康的重要决定因素之一。然而，老年人的营养不良往往未被诊断和/或忽视。因此，在这项研究中，我们研究了老年人营养不良的患病率和相关因素。在 Sodo Zuriya 区进行了一项基于社区的横断面研究。采用多阶段系统抽样方法，选取578名老年人。使用结构化问卷收集老年人的社会人口学、饮食多样性和健康状况的数据。分别使用数字体重秤和测距仪测量体重和身高。在 Epi-Data 版本 3 中输入和清理数据。1并导出到SPSS 20版进行分析。进行了二元和多变量逻辑回归，并计算了具有 95% 置信区间的优势比。营养不良的总体患病率为 17.1%。在多元逻辑回归中，无法读写 (AOR = 2.09)、未婚 (AOR = 2.02)、食物摄入量下降史 (AOR = 2.1)、吸烟 (AOR = 4.9) 和月收入 <$20 ( AOR = 7.5）是与营养不良呈正相关的因素。研究表明，该地区营养不良的发生率较高。因此，它是该地区的主要公共卫生负担之一。因此，为了改善老年人的营养状况，地区卫生办公室和卫生专业人员应考虑采取行为支持干预措施来帮助戒烟。