Projects

Project Description

There has been drastic change in the structure of the population with tripling of the population 60 years and above. One of the hidden problems among elderly is the growing prevalence of malnutrition and sarcopenia. Novelty: The novelty of the study is the development of a cost-effective, appetizing, nutritionally- optimized, easy-to-consume supplemental product. Objective: Phase 1: To develop nutritional supplement that is acceptable and palatable to the elderly Indian population. Phase 2: To compare the effect of 6-month nutritional supplementation and nutritional education with nutritional education alone on body composition and functional measures among elderly Indians at risk of malnutrition/or malnourished. Methods: Phase 1: A nutritional supplement in the form of a nutri snacks/ladoo will be developed. It will be administered to total of n50 Elderly. Each participant will consume the supplement every day for 15 days. Following analysis of the data, the supplement will be suitably modified and prepared for the trial phase – phase 2. Phase 2: Elderly participants (≥ 60 years) will be recruited from proposed centers and screened using the mini nutritional assessment scale. Participants identified as being at risk for malnutrition/or malnourished will be recruited. A randomized open-labelled trial will be performed for 180 days. Expected outcome-The study will result in the creation of a cost-effective, appetizing, and easy-to-consume supplemental product that meets the unique dietary requirements of the elderly population. This will enable policymakers at a national level to target the important problems of malnourishment and sarcopenia.