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Table 1 General characteristics of the respondents

From: Nutritional status and functional capacity of community-dwelling elderly in southern Laos

Variables

Oy (n = 53)

Brau (n = 41)

Lao (n = 50)

Age (years)

 65–74

25 (47.2)

28 (68.3)

30 (60.0)

 75–84

19 (35.8)

8 (19.5)

13 (26.0)

 >85

9 (17.0)

5 (12.2)

7 (14.0)

Gender

 Male

24 (45.3)

16 (39.0)

15 (30.0)

 Female

29 (54.7)

25 (61.0)

35 (70.0)

Marital status

 Married

29 (54.7)

22 (53.7)

19 (38.0)

 Others

24 (45.3)

19 (46.3)

31 (62.0)

Number of meals

 <2 meals

33 (62.3)

30 (73.2)

8 (16.0)

 >2 meals

20 (37.7)

11 (26.8)

42 (84.0)

Education level

 None

45 (84.9)

35 (85.4)

24 (48.0)

 Primary and above

8 (15.1)

6 (14.6)

26 (52.0)

Living conditions

 With family

46 (86.8)

36 (87.8)

47 (94.0)

 Alone

7 (13.2)

5 (12.2)

3 (6.0)

Food taboos

 Yes

11 (20.8)

8 (19.5)

20 (40.0)

 No

42 (79.2)

33 (80.5)

30 (60.0)

GDS

 Normal

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

3 (6.0)

 Depressed

53 (100)

41 (100)

47 (94.0)

BMI (kg/m2)

 <19

34 (64.2)

29 (70.7)

13 (26.0)

 >19 <21

15 (28.3)

8 (19.5)

16 (32.0)

 21–23

3 (5.7)

2 (4.9)

13 (26.0)

 >23

1 (1.9)

2 (4.9)

8 (16.0)

Common diseases

 Yes

31 (58.5)

31 (75.6)

36 (72.0)

 No

22 (41.5)

10 (24.4)

14 (28.0)

Neuropsychological stress

 Yes

36 (67.9)

32 (78.0)

21 (42.0)

 No

17 (32.1)

9 (22.0)

29 (58.0)

  1. GDS Geriatric depression scale, BMI Body mass index
  2. Data are presented as the number (of respondents) with the percentage in parenthesis