Sempértegui Fernando, Estrella Bertha, Elmieh Negar, Jordan Michael, Ahmed Tanvir, Rodríguez Alicia, Tucker Katherine L, Hamer Davidson H, Reeves Philip G, Meydani Simin Nikbin
Corporación Ecuatoriana de Biotecnología, Ave. Colón 1468 y Nueve de Octubre. Of. 508, Quito, Ecuador.
Br J Nutr. 2006 Nov;96(5):845-53. doi: 10.1017/bjn20061802.
The number of elderly people is increasing in less-developed countries. Although nutritional deficiencies and infectious diseases are generally more prevalent in resource-poor countries, the health and nutritional status of the elderly in South America in general, and in Ecuador, in particular, remains largely unstudied. The objective of the present study was to assess the nutritional, immunological and health status of elderly Ecuadorians. A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate a sample of elderly Ecuadorians with 24 h dietary recalls, biochemical and anthropometric measurements, delayed type hypersensitivity skin response and a health questionnaire. The 145 elders who enrolled had a mean age of 74.3 (SD 6.9) years. Of the subjects, 52 % exhibited BMI >or=25 kg/m(2), whereas 9.1 % had BMI <or=20 kg/m(2). Means of dietary intakes were below recommendations for most nutrients; exceptions were carbohydrate, fat, Fe and Se. Serum nutrient levels indicated that 50, 44, 43, 19 and 18 % of participants had deficiencies of Zn, Fe, vitamins B12 and D, and folate, respectively. The mean number of positive responses to seven recall antigens was 2.1 (SD 1.7) with an induration diameter of 9.9 (SD 7) mm, which are substantially lower than those reported for elders in developed countries. During the previous 6 months, 54 and 21 % of subjects reported at least one episode of respiratory infection or diarrhoea, respectively. Of these, 47 % sought care at a hospital or from a physician and 96 % from a relative or friend. In conclusion, while few elderly Ecuadorians were underweight, obesity was common. Micronutrient deficiencies were prevalent and may contribute to reduced immunological responses in this population.
在欠发达国家，老年人数量正在增加。尽管营养缺乏和传染病在资源匮乏国家通常更为普遍，但总体而言，南美洲老年人的健康和营养状况，尤其是厄瓜多尔老年人的健康和营养状况，在很大程度上仍未得到研究。本研究的目的是评估厄瓜多尔老年人的营养、免疫和健康状况。通过一项横断面研究，采用24小时膳食回顾、生化和人体测量、迟发型超敏皮肤反应以及健康问卷，对厄瓜多尔老年人样本进行评估。纳入研究的145名老年人的平均年龄为74.3（标准差6.9）岁。在这些受试者中，52%的人体重指数（BMI）≥25 kg/m²，而9.1%的人体重指数≤20 kg/m²。大多数营养素的膳食摄入量均值低于推荐水平；碳水化合物、脂肪、铁和硒除外。血清营养素水平表明，分别有50%、44%、43%、19%和18%的参与者存在锌、铁、维生素B12、维生素D和叶酸缺乏。对七种回忆抗原的阳性反应平均次数为2.1（标准差1.7），硬结直径为9.9（标准差7）毫米，这显著低于发达国家老年人的报告水平。在过去6个月中，分别有54%和21%的受试者报告至少有一次呼吸道感染或腹泻发作。其中，47%的人在医院或向医生寻求治疗，96%的人向亲戚或朋友寻求帮助。总之，虽然很少有厄瓜多尔老年人体重过轻，但肥胖很常见。微量营养素缺乏普遍存在，可能导致该人群免疫反应降低。
