# NUTRITION AND FRAILTY AMONG ELDERLY HISPANIC GROUPS IN M

> **NIH NIH R01** · TUFTS UNIVERSITY BOSTON · 1993 · $257,975

## Abstract

This study aims to describe levels of physical frailty (disability),
nutritional status, related health status and health behaviors in 900
Massachusetts Hispanics aged 60 years and older and 300 non-Hispanic white
(NHW) neighborhood controls; and to evaluate relationships between diet,
nutrition and frailty cross-sectionally.  It is hypothesized that 1)
Hispanic groups living in the Northeast, and Puerto Ricans in particular,
have greater levels of frailty, diabetes, obesity, hypertension and
hyperlipidemia than do neighborhood controls; 2) that prevalence and
severity of frailty are associated with these diet-related chronic health
conditions; and that dietary and other patterns of health behavior are
associated with the prevalence and control of these chronic conditions, and
with frailty.  Using a two stage sampling technique with probability
proportionate to size, elder Hispanics will be identified based on their
appearance in 1990 Census block level data.  A comparison group of NHWs
will be selected from those neighborhoods in which Hispanics are resident.
The prevalence survey will include measures of frailty (ADL, IADL,
disability days...); health status and history (diabetes and complications,
hypertension, cardiovascular problems...); nutritional factors (dietary
intake, body size and composition, blood lipids...); health behaviors
(smoking, alcohol use, exercise...); and situational factors (SES, living
arrangements, employment and migration history, acculturation, social
support, use of health services...).  Special attention will be given to
disease associated frailty and to relationships between diabetes, diabetic
complications and dietary habits.  Information on the health and nutrition
of elderly Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and Central and South Americans living
in the Northeastern U.S. is very limited (HHANES examined only 144 Puerto
Ricans aged 60-74 years).  Hispanics, particularly those in low income
groups, appear to suffer from excessive health problems, especially
diabetes and associated co-morbidity.  Among Hispanics, there is some
evidence that Puerto Ricans experience excess risk.  The results of this
study will provide greatly needed estimates of the age distribution and
extent of frailty, health and nutrition problems of Hispanic elderly in the
Northeast and valuable information on factors associated with these
problems, useful for planning and targeting programs.  They will also
provide baseline data for follow-up studies to measure incidence of key
problems and to clarify causal relationships between nutrition, health and
frailty in these groups.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3122329
- **Project number:** 5R01AG010425-02
- **Recipient organization:** TUFTS UNIVERSITY BOSTON
- **SAM.gov UEI:** C1F5LNUF7W86
- **Principal Investigator:** Katherine L Tucker
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1993
- **Award amount:** $257,975
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1992-09-01 → 1995-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3122329

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3122329, NUTRITION AND FRAILTY AMONG ELDERLY HISPANIC GROUPS IN M (5R01AG010425-02). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3122329. Licensed CC0.

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