ASOCIACIÓN ENTRE EL ESTADO NUTRICIONAL Y EL FUNCIONAMIENTO COGNITIVO EN ADULTOS MAYORES DEL CANTÓN SAN PEDRO DE PELILEO

Abstract

The general purpose of this research study was to determine the correlation between nutritional status, as measured using the Mini Nutritional Assessment tool, and cognitive functioning, as assessed using the Pfeiffer questionnaire, in older adults living in the parish of García Moreno in the canton of San Pedro de Pelileo. To this end, a quantitative study with a non-experimental cross-sectional and correlational design was developed, applying simple random sampling to select 75 participants from the rural area, who were given the Mini Nutritional Assessment questionnaire to evaluate their nutritional status. In addition, anthropometric measurements such as weight and height were taken to complement the assessment. A brief neurological test was also administered, with the final results showing a very high prevalence of low weight, affecting 72% of the sample, in addition to identifying mild and moderate mental impairment in more than half of the respondents. After applying the chi-square statistical test, it was concluded that there is definitely no direct link between caloric deficit and loss of intellectual abilities in this specific population. Therefore, local medical authorities are advised to establish community dietary assistance plans along with periodic neurological assessments, finally recommending that future researchers expand the number of people evaluated to other surrounding sectors, incorporating new sociodemographic variables to obtain a much broader picture of this health problem.