Abstract

Background: In Ethiopia, the population aged 60 years and older is projected to rise steadily, yet data on nutritional status remain scarce. This study assessed nutritional status and associated factors among adults aged 65 years and older in Harar town, Eastern Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 30 to May 29, 2023, among 413 randomly selected adults aged >65 years in Harar town. Nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF). Data were entered into EpiData v3.1 and analyzed in SPSS v25. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with malnutrition. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: The prevalence of malnutrition was 15.2%, and 43.6% were at risk of malnutrition. Factors associated with malnutrition included age 75-84 years (AOR = 4.45; 95% CI: 1.25-15.77) and 85-95 years (AOR = 6.54; 95% CI: 1.36-31.31), low educational attainment (AOR = 6.15; 95% CI: 1.26-29.9), recent illness (AOR = 3.16; 95% CI: 1.07-9.26), chronic illness (AOR = 6.48; 95% CI: 2.22-18.86), poor dietary diversity (AOR = 6.25; 95% CI: 1.38-28.10), and Household food insecurity, mild (AOR = 5.62; 95% CI: 1.35-23.30), moderate (AOR = 6.67; 95% CI: 1.69-26.38), and severe (AOR = 6.92; 95% CI: 1.05-45.22), was consistently associated with increased odds of malnutrition. Conclusion: Advanced age, low education, recent illness, chronic illness, poor dietary diversity, and household food insecurity were significant predictors of malnutrition. Public health interventions should focus on improving dietary intake, strengthening nutrition education for older adults and caregivers, and addressing household food insecurity.

Keywords: Older adults, > 65, Nutritional status, Dietary diversity, Food insecurity, Chronic illness, Ethiopia