INTRODUCTION

: The nutritional status, physical activity (PA) and psychosocial variables pose new challenges for the elderly. The objective was to describe and explore psychosocial and nutritional aspects along with physical fitness and activity level in elderly attending retirement centers in the city of Buenos Aires.

METHODS

: An exploratory, observational, cross-sectional and quantitative study was carried out. It included a non-probabilistic sample of male and female self-sufficient elderly in six Buenos Aires communes during 2017-2018. The study assessed age, sex, socio-economic level index, socio-family appraisal, cognitive reserve questionnaire and Pemberton happiness index, nutritional status by Mini Nutritional Assessment, anthropometry by body mass index, physical fitness by muscle strength and functionality, energy expenditure and PA level by accelerometry.

RESULTS

: In a sample of 150 elderly people aged 74±7 years, 90% (n=135) were women. There were 48% belonging to a low socio-economic level, with social risk indicators in 50%, well-being in 97.6%, and satisfactory cognitive reserve in 53.6%; 53.7% had overweight/obesity, predominantly in the quartile 1, and 10.2% had risk/malnutrition. Muscle weakness prevailed in quartiles 3 and 4. A majority of the 57 elderly who used the accelerometer had sedentary PA and low energy expenditure.

DISCUSSION

: The studied sample showed social risk/problem, excess weight and sedentary activity.

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