Journal
ASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Volume 30, Issue 2, Pages 107-117Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
DOI: 10.1177/1010539518760632
Keywords
public health nutrition; nutrition; dietetics; population health; heath economics and financing; health impact assessment; psychological; behavioral medicine
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Malnutrition and depression are of important concern among older adults. We investigated the association between malnutrition and depression among community-dwelling older Chinese adults and how both affect health care costs. Data from 4916 older adults (age 60 years) collected as part of 2013-Wave II China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) survey were analyzed. Measures of body mass index and weight loss were used as indicators of malnutrition. Malnourished subjects were 31% more likely to be depressed than their non-malnourished counterparts (odds ratio = 1.311, P < .1). Health care-related cost was yen591.8 higher for malnourished older adult per year compared to a non-malnourished counterpart (P < .1), thus confirming that incidence of depression coupled with malnutrition significantly increases health care-related costs. These results highlight the importance of malnutrition and depression screening and treatment for older Chinese community-dwelling adults, and the importance of community-based nutrition-specific programs that could address the needs of the affected populations.
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