Functional Constipation and Anorexia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS).

Eunjin Jeong,Jung A Kim,Miji Kim,Chang Won Won,Chang Kyun Lee,Byung Sung Kim

doi:10.3390/ijerph18115754

Abstract

Anorexia is a relevant geriatric syndrome because it accounts for most malnutrition in older adults. Constipation has been suggested as a risk factor for anorexia. This study aimed to examine the association between anorexia and functional constipation in community-dwelling older adults. Data on 899 subjects aged 72–86 years were obtained from a follow-up survey of the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study in 2018. Anorexia was assessed using the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ), while functional constipation was diagnosed based on Rome IV criteria. Anorexia and functional constipation were present in 30.9% and 19.6% of the participants, respectively. Age, female sex, chewing problems, malnutrition, polypharmacy, low Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) score, depressed mood, low serum albumin, and functional constipation were associated with anorexia in the univariate analysis. In the multivariate logistic regression, functional constipation was associated with anorexia (OR 1.478, 95% CI 1.038–2.104) after adjusting for age, female sex, and MMSE score. However, after further adjusting for depressed mood (OR 2.568) and chewing problems (OR 2.196), the relationship was no longer significant. This study showed that functional constipation is associated with anorexia in community-dwelling older adults, but this association is confounded by depressed mood and chewing problems.

Highlights

The Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS) is a multicenter longitudinal study with a baseline survey conducted from May 2016 to November 2017 to identify factors that contribute to aging in communitydwelling individuals aged 70–84 years
In the multivariate logistic regression, functional constipation was associated with anorexia (odds ratio (OR) 1.478, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.038–2.104) after adjusting for age, female sex, and Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) score
The present study showed that functional constipation was associated with anorexia in community-dwelling older adults

Summary

Introduction

Anorexia due to aging can be defined as the loss of appetite and decreased food intake in the elderly, and may account for the largest portion of the cause of malnutrition in older adults [1]. It is the most common dietary change in the elderly, experienced by up to 30% of community-dwelling older adults [2]. Decreased dietary intake and physical exercise can result in a decline in muscle mass in the elderly, which can worsen anorexia by promoting physiological changes and aggravating pathologic and socio-functional factors, resulting in a vicious cycle [1,3,4]

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