Assessment of Nutritional Status, Health Perception, and Adaptation to Aging in Older Adults: A Path Analysis

This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status, perceived health, and adaptation to aging of older adults and to examine the relationships among these variables.

This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 386 older adults receiving care at the outpatient clinics of a public hospital in northeastern Turkey. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination, the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), the Perception of Health Scale, and the Assessment Scale of Adaptation Difficulty for the Elderly. Statistical analyses included independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and path analysis.

The mean MNA-SF score was 11.52 ± 1.96; the mean health perception score was 48.07 ± 5.53; and the mean adaptation difficulty score was 0.99 ± 0.04. Health perception significantly predicted adaptation difficulty in older adults. MNA-SF scores varied significantly by age, body mass index (BMI), marital status, place of residence, and regular medication use (p < 0.01). Similarly, health perception scores differed significantly based on age, BMI, place of residence, educational level, income status, and the presence of chronic disease (p < 0.05). Adaptation difficulty scores also showed significant variation by age (p < 0.001).

The findings revealed that 38.6% of participants were at risk of malnutrition, while 3.9% were malnourished. Although participants' overall health perception was moderate, their adaptation to aging was generally high. A more positive health perception was associated with better adaptation to aging. Targeted health and nutrition programs are recommended for high-risk groups, particularly older adults with lower socioeconomic status or those residing in rural areas.