B VITAMINS INTAKE AND COGNITIVE STATUS AMONG ELDERLY IN AGRICULTURAL SETTLEMENTS

Authors

  • NUR FATIN ATIQAH LOKMAN DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITION SCIENCES, KULLIYYAH OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES, INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA, JALAN SULTAN AHMAD SHAH, BANDAR INDERA MAHKOTA 25200 KUANTAN, PAHANG, MALAYSIA
  • ALIZA HASLINDA HAMIRUDIN DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITION SCIENCES, KULLIYYAH OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES, INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA, JALAN SULTAN AHMAD SHAH, BANDAR INDERA MAHKOTA 25200 KUANTAN, PAHANG, MALAYSIA
  • SURIATI SIDEK DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITION SCIENCES, KULLIYYAH OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES, INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA, JALAN SULTAN AHMAD SHAH, BANDAR INDERA MAHKOTA 25200 KUANTAN, PAHANG, MALAYSIA
  • NORAIN ZAINUDIN DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITION SCIENCES, KULLIYYAH OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES, INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA, JALAN SULTAN AHMAD SHAH, BANDAR INDERA MAHKOTA 25200 KUANTAN, PAHANG, MALAYSIA
  • NOR AZLINA A. RAHMAN DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL AND REHABILITATION SCIENCES, KULLIYYAH OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES, INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA, JALAN SULTAN AHMAD SHAH, BANDAR INDERA MAHKOTA 25200 KUANTAN, PAHANG, MALAYSIA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31436/ijahs.v3i2.190

Abstract

Introduction: The number of elderly who have been diagnosed with cognitive impairment are increasing in Malaysia and becoming a matter of a great concern for the health sectors. One of the ways to overcome this rising problem is by identifying one of its risk factors which is inadequate dietary intake particularly  B vitamins (folate, vitamin B12 and B6). This study aimed to identify total B vitamins intake and its association with cognitive status of the elderly in agricultural settlements (FELDA) in Kuantan, Pahang.  Methods: Seventy-eight elderly aged ≥60 years old were recruited in this study using convenience sampling. A home visit was done and subjects were interviewed using a questionnaire on their demographic data. Dietary history method was used to collect information on dietary intake; whilst the cognitive status was assessed using the Malay version of Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). Dietary intake was analyzed using Nutritionist Pro Software version 3.00. The total B vitamins intake data were then compared with Recommended Nutrient Intakes for Malaysia (RNI 2017). Results: Majority of the subjects have inadequate total folate (93.6%), vitamin B6 (92%) and vitamin B12 (63%) intake. The comparison between total B vitamins intake and RNI showed significant differences (p = 0.001) except for vitamin B12 (p= 0.398). Most of the subjects have normal cognitive function as 62.8% of them achieved normal MMSE score (>24 out of 30 marks). No significant association between B vitamins intake and cognitive status of the elderly subjects were identified. Conclusions: High prevalence of inadequate B vitamins intake is evident among elderly living in agricultural settlements. Hence, a well-structured nutrition education programmes and activities need to be conducted to ensure optimum nutritional and cognitive status among the elderly.

 

KEYWORDS:  B vitamins intake, Cognitive Status, Elderly, Recommended Nutrient Intakes, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)  

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Published

2019-08-08

How to Cite

LOKMAN, N. F. A., HAMIRUDIN, A. H., SIDEK, S., ZAINUDIN, N., & A. RAHMAN, N. A. (2019). B VITAMINS INTAKE AND COGNITIVE STATUS AMONG ELDERLY IN AGRICULTURAL SETTLEMENTS. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES, 3(2), 683–693. https://doi.org/10.31436/ijahs.v3i2.190

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