Health outcomes associated with nutrition risk in community living older adults in the New Zealand Health, Work and Retirement Study : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics at Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
Loading...
Date
2021
DOI
Open Access Location
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Massey University
Rights
The Author
Abstract
Background: The New Zealand population is ageing as life expectancy increases and birth rates decline. Adequate nutrition is vital to increase years lived in good health and decrease health care spending. Previous research indicates 49% of Māori and 38% of Non-Māori living in the NZ community are at a degree of nutrition risk. Understanding the long- term outcomes of nutrition-risk is vital to reduce healthcare spending. This study aims to determine four-year outcomes of community-living older adults who were identified as being at ‘malnutrition risk’ in the 2014 Health, Work and Retirement Study. Methods: This study reflects a pre-post, secondary analysis of existing longitudinal data. A total of 1471 community-living older adults aged 49-87 responded to the 2014 and 2018 postal survey in the Health, Work Retirement study (HWR). Nutrition risk was assessed using the validated Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition, abbreviated version (SCREENII-AB) sent by postal survey in 2014. Other measures including demographic, social and health characteristics were included. Physical and mental functioning and overall health-related quality of life was assessed using the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12v2). Depression was assessed using the verified shortened 10 item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10). Social provisions were determined with the 24-item Social Provisions Scale. Alcohol intake was determined by using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C). Results: A third (33.9%) of participants were at nutritional risk (SCREEN II-AB score ≤38). The direct effects of nutrition risk showed that significant differences between at-risk and not-at-risk groups at baseline remained at follow up. Over time, physical health scores and hazardous alcohol use reduced. Mental health improved over time for at-risk, whilst it remained static for the not-at-risk group. Time had non-significant interactions and small effects on all other indicators. Conclusions: The distinctions between the at-risk and not-at-risk groups remained the same and were not resolved with the passage of time, the only caveat being mental health which improved. The results of this study suggest that dietitians and other health professionals need to target their interventions immediately because these will not change.