Factors associated with nutritional status of the elderly in two regions of Brazil.

Objective: To verify the association of nutritional status with sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, and health status in elderly individuals from two cities in different regions of Brazil.

Methods: Cross-sectional epidemiological home-based study, involving 477 and 316 elderly individuals (≥ 60 years) from the towns of Antônio Carlos (AC-SC) and Lafaiete Coutinho (LC-BA), respectively. Nutritional status was verified using the body mass index (BMI). Explanatory variables in the study were gender, age, level of schooling, living arrangements, lifelong occupation, smoking status, alcohol consumption, time spent sitting, hypertension, diabetes, osteoarthritis, respiratory diseases, and medications. Logistic regression analyses were used (crude and adjusted).

Results: Underweight (BMI < 22.0 kg/m(2)) was more frequent among the elderly from LC-BA (28.9% vs. 8.2%), and overweight (BMI > 27.0 kg/m(2)) was more prevalent among individuals from AC-SC (52.8% vs. 28.2%). In AC-SC, underweight was positively associated with older age (≥ 75 years) and smoking, and inversely associated with longer periods spent sitting (≥ 6 hrs/day). Overweight was positively associated with longer periods spent sitting, hypertension, and arthritis, and inversely associated with older age, male gender, working in rural areas, and alcohol consumption. In LC-BA, no explanatory variable was associated with underweight. Overweight was positively associated with hypertension, and inversely associated with individuals aged ≥ 75 years, and with living alone.

Conclusion: Underweight was more prevalent in LC-BA and overweight was more prevalent in AC-SC. Factors associated with nutritional status are specific to each municipality.