Mario V. Capanzana, Charmaine A. Duante, Rhea C. Benavides-de Leon,
Eva T. Abille-Goyena and Corazon M. Cerdeña
Director, Senior Science Research Specialist, Science Research Specialist I, Science Research Specialist II, and Chief Science Research Specialist, Food and Nutrition Research Institute, Department of Science and Technology
http://doi.org/10.57043/transnastphl.2009.4265
Abstract
This report aims to assess the nutrition and health profile of the elderly population in the Philippines. The 7th National Nutrition Survey (NNS), conducted in 2008, collected information from all members of 36,634 households, composed of 192,438 individuals, of whom 14,729 were adults aged 60 years and above. Data collected included weight and height measurements, blood pressure measurements during a single visit, hemoglobin levels, fasting blood sugar, and blood lipids (total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglycerides) using standard methods of determination. Results showed that, based on Body Mass Index (BMI), Chronic Energy Deficiency (CED) was prevalent among the elderly, at 27% among those aged 70 years and over and 17.7% among the 60–69 age group. Anemia remains a public health problem among the elderly, with a prevalence of 33.4% in males and 32.9% in females. Hypertension was more prevalent among older persons than younger ones, with 48.9% of those aged 60–69 years and 53.5% of those aged 70 years and over being hypertensive. High fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels were also observed among elderly adults, with an FBS of more than 125 mg/dL being prevalent in 9.1% of the 60–69 age group and 4.4% of those aged 70 years and over.