NUTRITIONAL SURVEY OF AN ELDERLY RUSSIAN POPULATION

During March and April 1992, CARE International, with epidemiological support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducted household surveys of pensioners 70 years of age or older in two Russi an cities. The objectives of these studies were to assess survey feasi bility, to report baseline nutritional data, and to determine if demog raphic identifiers on computerized government listings could be used t o target nutritional aid toward the most needy among elderly people. P ensioners in each city were administered questionnaires regarding food consumption and financial and health status. We calculated scores for body mass index (BMI) and Nutritional Screening Initiative (NSI) Chec klist (a tool for assessing the nutritional risk status of U.S. elderl y). Median pension income was 410 roubles (about $4.00) per month. For ty-five percent of the participants had less-than-or-equal-to 500 roub les in savings, 64% reported dental problems, and 60% responded that t hey had medical problems that interfered with eating. Although the Rus sian BMI distribution was similar to that of a comparison U.S. elderly population, the Russian NSI score totals were unfavorably elevated. T he mean NSI score of 8.8 is more than twice the reported U.S. mean. We found no single demographic identifier to predict the elderly subject s considered at greatest risk, according to NSI scoring. Longitudinal follow-up of these pensioners will be used for continuing assessment o f the impact of economic restructuring in Russia upon elderly citizens .