Factors influencing nutritional status of rural low income elderly in Trinidad

The purpose of the study is to determine the factors that influence nutritional status among lowincome rural elderly in Trinidad. Specifically the study sought to identify factors determining nutrition among low income rural elderly with regard to socioeconomic, demographic and personal characteristics. Using a three-stage sampling design, a structured questionnaire, 300 Old Age Pensioners were personally interviewed from counties St Andrew and St David from the sub-districts of Valencia, Manzanilla and Toco/Matelot, enrolled with the Ministry of Social Development, Social Welfare Division in Sangre Grande. The sample comprised of 155 women, 145 men, aged 65 to 103 years, mean age 75.88. The main predictors that influenced nutritional status among the respondents are age, sex and level of aspiration. These coefficients were significant at p-value = <0.05 percent significance levels (.001, .028, .000 respectively). The results indicate that age, sex and level of aspiration are the factors that positively influence nutritional status among low-income rural elderly. The study concludes that age, sex, and level of aspiration were the only useful predictors that determined nutritional status among low-income rural elderly in Trinidad.