Undernutrition and associated factors among elderly people served in Public Servants Social Security Agency in Harar, Eastern Ethiopia

OBJECTIVE: Undernutrition in the elderly has adverse effects on physiological functions and various clinical outcomes. In Ethiopia, similar to many developing countries, there is a dearth of epidemiological data on the nutritional status of the elderly. This study aimed to assess the magnitude of undernutrition and associated factors among the elderly population enrolled in the Public Servants Social Security Agency in Harar, eastern Ethiopia. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 337 elderly adults from June to August 2020. The Mini Nutritional Assessment Tool Short Form assessed the nutritional status of the elderly. Data were entered in Epi Data software version 3.1 and transferred to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Ordinal logistic regression assessed factors associated with undernutrition, using variables with a p value less than 0.05 as statistically significant. RESULT: The magnitude of undernutrition was 16.6% and 45.1% were at risk of undernutrition. Being unable to read and write (odds ratio (OR) = 3.64; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.98–6.72), elderly with morbidities (OR = 2.05; 95% CI, 1.15–3.64), low dietary diversity score (OR = 3.52; 95% CI, 1.63–7.60), and elderly who were food insecure (OR = 0.59; 95% CI, 0.37–0.95) were significantly associated with undernutrition. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of undernutrition among the elderly is a public health issue. Independent predictors include educational status, morbidity, dietary diversity, and food insecurity. Intervention programs need to focus on the elderly’s nutrition, access to healthy foods, and other health issues.