Rym Ben Othman^1,, Yasmine Jallouli², Ramla Mizouri², Olfa Berriche², Cyine Trabelsi², Rania Tamboura², Amel Gamoudi², Henda Jamoussi²

Introduction: Malnutrition is a pressing public health concern among elderly individuals with diabetes, and North Africa is no exception to this issue. Objective: to determine the prevalence of malnutrition and its predictive factors among hospitalized elderly patients aged 70 and above with diabetes. Methods: This was a multicentric cross-sectional study conducted at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology in Tunis from September 2022 to March 2023. A total of 100 patients were included, with the diagnosis of malnutrition based on criteria from the High Health Authority, including etiological and phenotypic factors. Hospitalization was considered an etiological criterion. Results: Malnourished patients (MN+) had a mean age of 74.51 ± 4.41 years, while well-nourished patients (MN-) averaged 72.76 ± 3.27 years (p=0.02). Females constituted 65% of the sample. The average BMI was 28.75 ± 5.89 kg/m², with MN+ patients having an average BMI of 27.99 kg/m² compared to 29.51 kg/m² for MN- patients (p=0.02). Malnutrition was present in 49% of the population. Risk factors of malnutrition in the multivariate analysis were as a history of hospitalization, low appendicular muscle mass, and infrequent poultry consumption. Conclusion: our findings underscore the importance of addressing malnutrition in this vulnerable population to improve their overall health.

nutritional status, gerontology, hospitalization, type 2 diabetes, Sarcopenia, Depression, Frailty, Autonomy, Alimentary survey, nutrient intake