Who is at risk for malnutrition

Malnutrition commonly occurs when someone does not eat enough food sub-nutrition. However, it can also occur if a person has a poor diet that provides them with an incorrect balance of the basic food groups listed above. An inadequate diet can also lead to a person having a deficiency of one, or more, vitamins, minerals, or other essential substances. For example, a vitamin C ascorbic acid deficiency can occur if a person does not include enough fresh fruit and vegetables in their diet.

This can lead to a condition called scurvy. In the UK, it is estimated that, at any one time, at least two million people are affected by malnutrition.

Anyone can become malnourished if, over a prolonged period of time, they do not consume enough food to fulfil their nutritional needs, or if they have an unhealthy diet. However, the groups who are most at risk from malnutrition are:. Malnutrition can have a number of adverse effects on the body.

If you are malnourished, your body will slow down and it will not work as well as usual. If you are malnourished, there is also an increased chance that you will develop post-operative complications should you need to have surgery for another medical condition.

In some cases, malnutrition can also lead to feelings of apathy indifference , tiredness, and depression. Malnutrition is caused by a lack of essential nutrients, resulting in the inability of the body to function as efficiently as normal. A lack of nutrients in the body can be caused by a number of circumstances and conditions. For example, in developing countries, such as in many African countries, chronic long-term malnutrition is a large scale and ongoing problem, which is the result of people not having enough food to eat on a daily basis.

Not eating enough food to maintain proper body function, or eating an imbalanced diet that does not provide you with the nutrients needed to maintain a good, all round level of health, will cause you to become malnourished. An inadequate diet can occur for a number of reasons. For example, if you are unwell, or you are recovering from an illness, such as a stroke, throat or mouth cancer, or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease GORD , you may develop dysphagia.

Dysphagia can arise as a complication of these conditions and, for some people, it makes it difficult to swallow certain foods, or liquids. Some people with dysphagia are completely unable to swallow. Mental health conditions, such as depression, can sometimes make you feel like not eating and can lead to malnutrition. Similarly, eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, can also result in malnutrition because the amount of food that is consumed by someone with an eating disorder is often very low.

Mobility problems, which are particularly common among the elderly, are another potential cause of malnutrition, as they can prevent people getting to the shops to buy food, or from preparing food for themselves. If the food that you eat is not digested properly, your body will be unable to absorb the nutrients that it needs to function effectively. An ileostomy involves removing part of the small intestine. In some cases, the colon large intestine and rectum back passage may also need to be removed.

If you have an ileostomy, you will need to have a low fibre diet for the first few months after the procedure, and you may need to take vitamin supplements until you are able to resume a normal diet. Coeliac disease is a bowel condition that is caused by intolerance to a protein called gluten. They can offer practical dietary advice to help them meet their nutritional needs and improve their health. Eating a variety of foods will help to meet nutritional needs, but some dietary areas are particularly important.

These include:. Accredited Practising Dietitians APDs can provide expert nutrition and dietary advice to help those at risk of or suffering from malnutrition meet their nutritional needs — Find a dietitian in your local area. Dietitian or Nutritionist? Why Choose an Accredited Practising Dietitian?

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Does eating environment have an effect on food intake in the elderly? Psychosocial and functional correlates of nutrition among community-dwelling older adults in Ireland. A meta-analysis of interventions to reduce loneliness. Personal Soc Psychol Rev. National Health Service. The Eatwell Guide. Download references. The authors would like to thank the Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council for their support of this study. We thank Ms. Hau Yee Or, Mr. Chi Tat Ngai and Ms. Wing Tung Chan for the coordination of the study, NGO staff for recruitment, NGO social workers and university nursing students for data collection and entry, and the subjects themselves for participating.

Martin M. Wong, Winnie K. Chan, Janet W. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. MMHW contributed to the study conception and design, coordination, data analysis and data interpretation, and drafted the manuscript, WKWS to the study conception and design, coordination and data interpretation, KCC to the study design, data analysis and data interpretation, RC to the study conception and design, coordination and data interpretation, HYLC and JWHS to the study conception and design and data interpretation, BH to the study conception and design, coordination and data interpretation, FL and TYL to the study coordination, and SYC to study conception and design.

All authors were involved in critical revision of the manuscript and approved the final version. Correspondence to Winnie K. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects who were interested in participating.

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Wong, M. Malnutrition risks and their associated factors among home-living older Chinese adults in Hong Kong: hidden problems in an affluent Chinese community. BMC Geriatr 19, Download citation. Received : 10 December Accepted : 26 April Published : 23 May Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:. Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative. Skip to main content.

Search all BMC articles Search. Download PDF. Research article Open Access Published: 23 May Malnutrition risks and their associated factors among home-living older Chinese adults in Hong Kong: hidden problems in an affluent Chinese community Martin M.

You may have more complex dietary needs or need to take supplements. Page last reviewed: 07 February Next review due: 07 February It means "poor nutrition" and can refer to: undernutrition — not getting enough nutrients overnutrition — getting more nutrients than needed These pages focus on undernutrition.

When to see a GP See a GP if: you've unintentionally lost a lot of weight over the last 3 to 6 months you have other symptoms of malnutrition you're worried someone in your care, such as a child or older person, may be malnourished If you're concerned about a friend or family member, try to encourage them to see a GP.

Who's at risk of malnutrition Malnutrition is a common problem that affects millions of people in the UK. Read more about the causes of malnutrition.