Nutritional status and self-reported and performance-based evaluation of physical function of elderly persons in rural Bangladesh

AIM: To investigate the impact of nutritional status on self-reported as well as performance-based indicators of physical function in a rural elderly population in Bangladesh. METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted in Matlab, Bangladesh, included 457 randomly selected community-living elderly persons aged 60 years or more (60-92 years; 69 +/- 7 years). Mobility, activities of daily living (ADL), performance tests, handgrip strength, the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and a structured questionnaire were used to assess physical function, nutritional status, socioeconomic status and health status, respectively. Descriptive and linear hierarchical regression analyses were applied. RESULTS: Seven per cent of the participants reported limitations in mobility, and 8% reported limitations in ADL. However, more than half of the participants had difficulties in performing…