Amano Takashi, Gallegos Carlos Andres, Waters William F, Freire Wilma B
Department of Social Work, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University , Newark, NJ, USA.
Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis, MO, USA.
J Gerontol Soc Work. 2021 Mar;64(2):106-119. doi: 10.1080/01634372.2020.1814476. Epub 2020 Sep 24.
This study aims to identify those populations that should be targeted by specific interventions. A cross-sectional design was utilized. Ordered logistic regression analysis was utilized to assess the association between ethnic identity and risk of malnutrition. Data were drawn from Ecuador's Survey of Health, Welfare and Aging (SABE). The final sample consisted of 4,572 people who were 60 years or older who were able to provide responses to the survey by themselves. Ethnic identity was categorized into four: indigenous, mestizo (Spanish and Indigenous mixed heritage), Afro-Ecuadorian/mulato, and other. Risk of malnutrition was measured using Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF). A range of covariates were selected from three groups of factors: sociodemographic, health-related, and social network. Results revealed that the indigenous ethnicity was the only group who had significantly higher risk of malnutrition compared to mestizo even after controlling for a range of covariates including socio-economic status, health related factors, and social support. Findings suggest the existence of underlaying factors hindering the risk of malnutrition among indigenous older adults. Considering the information revealed by SABE, interventions and other strategies should be targeted and designed specifically accounting for the needs, preferences, and culture of the most vulnerable population.
本研究旨在确定那些应通过特定干预措施加以关注的人群。采用了横断面设计。运用有序逻辑回归分析来评估种族身份与营养不良风险之间的关联。数据取自厄瓜多尔的健康、福利与老龄化调查（SABE）。最终样本包括4572名60岁及以上能够自行回答调查问卷的人。种族身份分为四类：原住民、混血儿（西班牙和原住民混合血统）、非裔厄瓜多尔人/穆拉托人以及其他。使用微型营养评定简表（MNA-SF）来衡量营养不良风险。从社会人口统计学、健康相关和社会网络三组因素中选取了一系列协变量。结果显示，即使在控制了包括社会经济地位、健康相关因素和社会支持在内的一系列协变量之后，与混血儿相比，原住民仍是唯一营养不良风险显著更高的群体。研究结果表明存在一些潜在因素阻碍了原住民老年人的营养不良风险。考虑到SABE所揭示的信息，干预措施和其他策略应专门针对最弱势群体的需求、偏好和文化进行针对性设计。
