National and regional profile of the health and nutritional status of older adults, Ensanut Continua 2023-2024

OBJECTIVE: To obtain an updated profile of the health and nutritional status (national and regional) of older adults in Mexico. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive study with a sample of 4 719 older adults aged 60 years or older from the Continuous National Health and Nutrition Survey 2023-2024. Indicators related to health conditions, geriatric syndromes, and nutritional status were analyzed. RESULTS: Among older adults in Mexico, 14.8% had frailty, 34.5% depressive symptoms, 39.7% multimorbidity, 12.1% anemia, and 88.2% abdominal obesity. In general, the oldest age group, women, residents of rural areas, and the southern region of the country exhibited the worst conditions in terms of health status, geriatric syndromes, and nutritional status. CONCLUSIONS: The health and nutritional conditions of older adults in Mexico exhibit a high degree of heterogeneity, which implies the need to design public health policies specifically targeted at the most vulnerable groups.