Overlooked Burden of Undernutrition Among Older Adults in India

Abstract

The underweight status among older adults in India and its association with other health risks has received little attention. Using nationally representative data from the first wave of the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI, 2017-18), this study examined the underweight status among the Indian older adults and investigated its relationship with various health outcomes. The effective sample size of this study was 28,050 older adults aged 60 years or above. Multivariable logistic and linear regression models were employed to meet the objectives of the study. Underweight status was found to be negatively associated functional health, cognitive function, and grip strength. However, no significant association was observed between underweight status and depressive symptoms. Moreover, socioeconomic, demographic, and geographic factors were identified as strong determinants of underweight status among Indian older adults. India has implemented a wide range of nutrition policies that primarily focus on children, mothers, and adolescents. While these policies are important, it is equally crucial to develop interventions specifically tailored for adults and older adults.

Keywords:

• India
• LASI
• nutrition
• older adults
• underweight

Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to Mr. Shalem Balla for his assistance with this paper.

Ethics approval

This study made use of secondary data, which is available in the public domain. Therefore, ethics approval was not required.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Availability of data and materials

The study uses LASI data that is freely available in the public domain through a request from https://iipsindia.ac.in/sites/default/ files/LASI_DataRequestForm_0.pdf.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.