[Elderly mortality caused by nutritional deficiency in Colombia's Departments]

Comparing mortality in adults aged 65 years or older caused by nutritional deficiency in Colombia, according to department of usual residence in 2008.

A cross-sectional study of 989 death certificates from 2008 was conducted adopting an empirical-analytic approach; underlying cause of death was due to nutritional deficiency (International Classification of Diseases:E40-E64, tenth revision). The distribution of death according to demographic variables was analyzed and mortality rates calculated by age, gender and place of residence. SPSS (version 10) and ArcGIS (10.0) software packages were used.

The mortality rate was 34.5 nutritional deficiency-related deaths per hundred thousand inhabitants; 16 departments reported a higher risk than the national average, this being higher in Vaupés, Guaviare, Guainía, Bolívar and Atlántico. It should be noted that women accounted for more deaths and a slightly higher risk was also recorded for them (35.4) than for men (33.4).

Deaths from nutritional deficiency were more common in females aged over 80 years old and people belonging to the subsidized regime(not many of the deceased were insured). The Colombian department having the highest mortality rate was Vaupés (658.8 risk for men and 456.6 for women), surpassing all others by a wide margin.