Assessment of Nutritional Status, Health Perception, and Adaptation to Aging in Older Adults: A Path Analysis

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status, perceived health, and adaptation to aging of older adults and to examine the relationships among these variables. Methods This descriptive, cross‐sectional study included 386 older adults receiving care at the outpatient clinics of a public hospital in northeastern Turkey. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Standardised Mini‐Mental State Examination, the Mini Nutritional Assessment–Short Form (MNA‐SF), the Perception of Health Scale, and the Assessment Scale of Adaptation Difficulty for the Elderly. Statistical analyses included independent samples t ‐tests, one‐way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and path analysis. Results The mean MNA‐SF score was 11.52 ± 1.96; the mean health perception score was 48.07 ± 5.53; and the mean adaptation difficulty score was 0.99 ± 0.04. Health perception significantly predicted adaptation difficulty in older adults. MNA‐SF scores varied significantly by age, body mass index (BMI), marital status, place of residence, and regular medication use ( p < 0.01). Similarly, health perception scores differed significantly based on age, BMI, place of residence, educational level, income status, and the presence of chronic disease ( p < 0.05). Adaptation difficulty scores also showed significant variation by age ( p < 0.001). Conclusion The findings revealed that 38.6% of participants were at risk of malnutrition, while 3.9% were malnourished. Although participants' overall health perception was moderate, their adaptation to aging was generally high. A more positive health perception was associated with better adaptation to aging. Targeted health and nutrition programs are recommended for high‐risk groups, particularly older adults with lower socioeconomic status or those residing in rural areas.