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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| The nutritional status of older Rwandan refugees | | Author(s) | Simone Pieterse, Mary Manandhar, Suraiya Ismail |
| Journal title | Public Health Nutrition, vol 1, no 3, 1998 |
| Pages | pp 1-6 |
| Keywords | Refugees ; Malnutrition ; Nutrition ; Physical capacity ; Weight ; Height ; Measurement ; Ruanda. |
| Annotation | In unstable situations, there is evidence that older people will forego their food ration in favour of younger relatives. This paper (pre-publication) assessed the nutritional status of older people in a Rwandan refugee camp during the 1995/96 post-emergency period . Anthropometric and socio-economic data were collected cross-sectionally. Body mass index (BMI), arm muscle area (AMA) and arm fat area (AFA) were calculated to evaluate nutritional status. Measurements were obtained from 413 men and 415 women aged 50-92 years. The prevalence of undernutrition (BMI <18.5) was 19.5% in men and 13.1% in women, and was higher above age 60 in both sexes: in men, prevalences were 23.2% and 15%, and in women 15.1% and 10.9% for the older and younger age groups, respectively. AMA, which is important in relation to the ability to remain active and independent, was also significantly lower in older age groups. No difference was found in AFA. Even in this population of older Rwandans who managed to reach the camp and survive in exile for more than a year, undernutrition does occur and is more prevalent at an advanced age. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-990301211 A |
| Classmark | TIA: CSM: CF: BI: 4X6: 53H: 3R: 7LP * |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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