Assessment of the risk of undernutrition in institutionalized patients under the degree of dependence

Abstract

Background: there is a high number of dependent older adults with risk of malnutrition in the institutionalized geriatric population. Among others, the related factors are weight loss inherent to age, which favors frailty and sarcopenia, low body mass index (BMI) and the worsening of chronic diseases, which entails a deterioration in the quality of life. Objective: to analyze the relationship between dependence and nutritional status in elderly institutionalized people. Method: prospective observational and descriptive study in a sample of elderly institutionalized people. Dependence was studied by the Barthel index, sex, BMI, presence of chronic diseases and nutritional status with the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). The association between the different variables was made with the Spearman correlation. Results: one hundred and sixty-four patients were included in the study; 45.10% (n = 74) of the patients had a total dependence and 18.30% (n = 30) had a moderate dependence. Women had a higher risk of total dependence than men (p < 0.0001). There was a significant relationship between the level of dependence and nutritional status, so that greater dependence increased the risk of malnutrition (p < 0.0001). Patients who were underweight had a greater risk of total dependence (RR 11.05 [95% CI 4.41, 27.7]). Patients with dementia were more dependent (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: most of the institutionalized elderly people presented some degree of dependence, which supposed a risk for the nutritional status that was aggravated if they suffered dementia and low weight.