Association of socio-economic status with dietary habits and anemia prevalence in the geriatric population

Socioeconomic status (SES) strongly influences food choices, dietary diversity and healthcare access, potentially increasing anemia prevalence in geriatric individuals. Therefore, it is of interest to examine the association between socioeconomic status (SES), nutritional habits and anemia prevalence among 336 geriatric individuals aged ≥60 years. SES was assessed using the Modified Kuppuswamy Scale (2024), alongside dietary habits and hemoglobin levels. Anemia prevalence was 48.2%, with low SES showing significantly higher rates (61.4%) than middle (44.8%) or high SES (29.6%) groups (p < 0.001). Dietary inadequacies were markedly more common in the low SES group. This study advances knowledge by providing India-specific evidence linking graded SES differences to anemia and poor nutrition in older adults, guiding targeted interventions.