| ObjectivesTo describe nutritional status, diet self-efficacy and health locus of control of Tianjin community-dwelling elderly; to investigate relationships among background characteristics, diet self-efficacy and health locus of control; to explore the influencing factors of nutritional status. So as to provide thoughts for individualized nutritional intervention for elderly.MethodsA descriptive and correlational research design was adopted. Using convenience sampling,160 older adults from a Tianjin urban community were recruited. Heights and weights were measured for calculating body mass index (BMI); questionnaires were filled. Instruments used in the investigation includes self-designed background information sheet, Mini Nutrition Assessment tool (MNA), the Cardiac Diet Self Efficacy scale (CDSE) and the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale (MHLC). SPSS 11.0 was used for data analysis. BMI and MNA scores were used to identify overnutrition and undernutrition respectively.Results146 out of 160 subjects completed the survey; the response rate was 91.25%.(1) The average of BMI were 24.61±3.30 kg/m2, of which 60.3% were over 24 kg/m2. Average MNA score was 26.41±1.84, of which none were malnourished and 8.9% at risk of undernutrition. Average score of CDSE, Internal health locus of control (IHLC), powerful others health locus of control (PHLC) and the Chance health locus of control (CHLC) were 51.17±10.39,25.36±5.96,26.38±5.52 and 17.6±6.75 respectively.(2) CDSE was positively related to the educational level, self-rated health eating behavior and the IHLC (r=0.178,0.397,0.239, P<0.05); PHLC was positively related to the number of the current disease and medication (r=0.191,0.200, P<0.05); CHLC was negatively related to educational level (r=-0.225, P<0.01), whereas female held stronger CHLC belief than male(t=-3.140, P<0.01).(3) Multiple stepwise regressions indicated that age, educational level and number of current diseases were major influential factors and explained 11.7% of the variances in BMI, whereas age, educational level, number of medication, self-rated chewing function and IHLC can predict 22% of the variances in MNA scores. Though CDSE didn't make it into the regression model, it's significantly related to MNA scores (r=0.165,P<0.05).ConclusionOf 146 recruited community elderly, more than half were overweight or obese, while few were at risk of malnutrition. The level of diet self-efficacy was middle. PHLC and IHLC were their major health locus of control beliefs.Community-dwelling elderly with higher educational level, better eating behavior or stronger IHLC belief tends to have higher diet self-efficacy; elderly with more disease or polypharmacy scores higher in PHLC; female and less educated ones were more likely to be chance oriented.A number of variables had effects on the nutritional status of the older adults, including age, educational level, number of current diseases, number of medication, chewing function and IHLC. However, the effect of diet self-efficacy on nutritional status was not evident. It's suggested community nurses consider those factors while carrying out nutrition interventions for elderly; more attention should be paid to those with older age, less education, worse chewing function, more illnesses, polypharmacy or lower IHLC belief.In all, the amount of variances explained by included factors for nutritional status of the selected community-dwelling elderly was small. Future research is needed to gain deep understanding of their nutritional behavior and the influencing factors of their nutritional status. |
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