Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to explore the magnitude and significance of associations among nutritional status, functional status, comorbidities, age, and gender in older adults receiving assistance from the in-home nursing care service.Method: In this cross-sectional study, 210 home-dwelling persons 65 years or older who received in-home nursing care service were evaluated. Demographic variables, nutritional status, comorbidities, and the dependency levels of activities of daily living were analyzed. To assess the correlation among the factors that influence nutritional status, a theoretical model was developed and adjusted using the path analysis model.Results: The primary finding is that functional status is directly associated with nutritional status (β = 0.32; p < 0.001) and severity of comorbidities is indirectly associated with nutritional status (β = −0.07; p < 0.017).Conclusion: The elicited outcomes in this study reinforce the concept that nutritional status is linked with functional status in older adults receiving in-home care nursing service.
Highlights
According to demographic data, the older adult population has been increasing dramatically in the last 50 years, and it will increase further in the year to come
Patients were not included if they suffered from a terminal illness; if they had a diagnosis of Lewy-body dementia; if suffering from chronic disease that has led to need of assistance from the in-home nursing care service before the age of 65 years; or if need of in-home nursing care service due to substance abuse or psychiatric disease that arise before the age of 65 years adults
There was no difference in the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score according to the nutritional status in both age groups (p = 0.154)
Summary
The older adult population has been increasing dramatically in the last 50 years, and it will increase further in the year to come. In 2019, 703 million people were aged 65 years or above in the world. In 2,050, the number is expected to increase to 1.5 billion, meaning that one in every six people worldwide will be aged 65 years or over [1]. Aging is defined as an individual, sequential and cumulative series of physiological changes that occur in an organism over time, resulting in progressive deterioration of functioning, increased vulnerability to disease, and reduced viability [2]. Aging is in most people accompanied by multimorbidity and physically debilitating conditions such as sarcopenia, frailty, dementia, and/or malnutrition [3].
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