INCIDENCE OF ANOREXIA AND MALNUTRITION AMONG INDIGENOUS ELDERLY RESIDENTS IN URBAN CONTEXT, IN CAMPO GRANDE – MS (Atena Editora)

Abstract

The aging process is commonly accompanied by poor appetite and decreased food intake. This condition, called aging anorexia, may be due to psychological, sociological and physiological factors. Anorexia is mainly associated with poor prognosis in old age. It leads to weight loss, increased risk of protein-energy malnutrition, immunosuppression, sarcopenia and frailty. Therefore, it must be identified and treated immediately. It is with this objective that this research was developed, to track cases indicative of anorexia and malnutrition, in elderly indigenous people, living in the indigenous community in an urban context, located in Campo Grande - MS. The indigenous people were chosen because they are a population at risk, which has been little studied in relation to anorexia and all its complications. The research was carried out, via What's app, by collecting data from the simplified nutritional appetite questionnaire (SNAQ), whose four variables are: appetite, taste, satiety and quantity. It showed reproducibility, was able to demonstrate changes when they occurred and when the answers were compared, 93.8% understood the question correctly in the validation of the questionnaire into Portuguese. However, the questionnaire had not yet been used in vulnerable populations such as indigenous people, which shows how much this research contributes to greater reproducibility and effectiveness of the instrument. As a result, 20 people participated in the survey, reaching the expected sample within the community. It was found that almost half of the respondents had an SNAQ below 14, which means that, in a period of 6 months, there is a high risk of losing at least 5% of body weight, which can serve as an alert for the need for medical care and follow-up to prevent possible implications arising from the occurrence of anorexia and/or malnutrition. Based on these results, we guided the leadership towards a dialogue with the local primary health service, in order to obtain adequate and free health treatment for those who were identified with the pathology. The study, therefore, will be able to contribute to the community as a way to promote more health to the indigenous population living there and generate epidemiological parameters with other communities living in Campo Grande - MS