Can mid-upper arm circumference and calf circumference be the proxy measures to detect undernutrition among elderly? Findings of a community-based survey in rural Puducherry, India.

Introduction: Major proportion of the elderly with under nutrition is undetected in the community. One of the feasible ways to detect under nutrition among elderly would be screening in the field settings. in this study, we aimed to identify the utility of alternate anthropometric measures such as mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), calf circumference, and skin fold thickness in identifying under nutrition among elderly.

Prevalence of under-nutrition, associated factors and perceived nutritional status among elderly in a rural area of Puducherry, South India.

Background: Under-nutrition among elderly goes undetected, despite their nature of vulnerability to it. Majority of the available literature assessed under nutrition in the facility based settings. We aimed to determine the prevalence of under-nutrition and its associated factors among elderly, in a rural setting.