Nutritional Status and Functional Ability Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Southern India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose Malnutrition is a major public health issue among older adults and contributes to functional decline, increased morbidity, and poor quality of life. Early identification of nutritional risk is essential for promoting healthy ageing and maintaining independence. This study aimed to assess the nutritional status and functional ability of older adults and examine the association between these variables among elderly individuals attending a tertiary care hospital in southern India. Methods A hospital-based cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 66 older adults aged ≥ 60 years attending the outpatient department of Yenepoya Medical College Hospital, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), and functional ability was evaluated using the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Descriptive statistics were used to summarise participant characteristics. Associations between nutritional status and socio-demographic variables were analysed using the Chi-square test. In contrast, Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between nutritional status and functional ability. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results Among the 66 participants, 33 (50.8%) were malnourished, 23 (35.4%) were at risk of malnutrition, and only 10 (13.8%) had normal nutritional status. Regarding functional ability, 45 (69.2%) participants were functionally independent, 17 (26.2%) had moderate functional impairment, and 3 (4.6%) had severe functional impairment. Nutritional status demonstrated a statistically significant moderate positive correlation with functional ability (r = 0.681, p < 0.001). Significant associations were observed between nutritional status and age ( p = 0.008), educational level ( p = 0.022), and employment status ( p = 0.008). Conclusion A high prevalence of malnutrition and nutritional risk was observed among older adults attending the outpatient department. Better nutritional status was associated with greater functional independence. Routine nutritional screening using validated assessment tools should be integrated into geriatric care to facilitate early identification of older adults at nutritional risk and support interventions aimed at preserving functional ability and promoting healthy ageing.