Objective: In developed countries, the importance of healthy aging and quality of life (QoL) is increasing. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between nutritional status and QoL in elderly people who are living in a nursing home and community dwelling.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 100 elderly participants aged 65 years and older were recruited from nursing homes and community. Nutritional status was evaluated using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), 24 h dietary recall, and anthropometric measurements. QoL was determined using the World Health Organization QoL-Old. Multiple regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between nutritional status and QoL domains, adjusted for possible confounders.
Results: The QoL was lower and the frequency of malnutrition risk was higher in nursing home residents (p<0.05). There was a significant association between nutritional status and overall QoL score (r: 0.61 p<0.05) and according to multivariate regression analyzes, “sensory abilities” domain (β: 0.22; p<0.05) was found to be significantly associated with MNA score.
Conclusion: According to this study, the elderly who were living in nursing homes had more disadvantages for both nutrition and QoL. Further researches on the relationship between nutritional status and QoL domains are as notable as the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of nutritional problems of this sensitive group. Besides, it has great importance in the protection and development of health.