Older adults are vulnerable to nutrition-related health problems due to hea
lth and psychosocial changes that accompany aging. Those in rural communiti
es face additional problems. This study characterizes the nutritional risk
of rural older adults using the Nutritional Risk Index (NRI), paying partic
ular attention to gender differences in risk. Data come from face-to-face i
nterviews with a random sample of 638 White rural adults aged 55 and older
Women scored significantly higher on the NRI, indicating greater nutritiona
l risk. Women were more likely to report NRI items related to oral health,
special diets, disease interference with eating, gastrointestinal problems,
and anemia, whereas men were more likely to report smoking regularly A com
parison with the application of the NRI in other populations indicates that
it is sensitive to nutrition-related health conditions that may be more pr
evalent in rural populations, making it a useful tool for measuring nutriti
onal risk.