Table 3.
Domain (defining/diagnosing): Defining and diagnosing anorexia of aging (N = 1545)
| N | Statistic | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| In the absence of an explicit cause such as acute illness, anorexia in older adults is most accurately defined as: | |||
| Loss of appetite and/or low food intake in older adults | 877 | 56.8% | |
| Unintended weight loss in older adults | 224 | 14.5% | |
| Sarcopenia or loss of muscle mass, strength and/or function | 120 | 7.8% | |
| Nutrition risk, malnutrition or undernutrition in older adults | 227 | 14.7% | |
| Frailty in geriatric patients | 91 | 5.9% | |
| Missing system | 6 | 0.4% | |
| Causes of anorexia in older adults include (select all that apply): | |||
| Diminished smell and taste in older adults | 1207 | 78% | |
| Changes in hormones that alter satiety control mechanisms | 799 | 52% | |
| Early satiety from slowed gastric emptying | 1000 | 65% | |
| Poor dentition | 1305 | 84% | |
| Chronic inflammation | 790 | 51% | |
| Constipation | 1068 | 69% | |
| Osteoarthritis | 257 | 17% | |
| Osteoporosis | 183 | 12% | |
| Loss of motor skills/independence of ADLs | 1254 | 81% | |
| Risk factors for anorexia in older adults include (select all that apply): | |||
| Social isolation | 1325 | 86% | |
| Inability to travel to access food | 1080 | 70% | |
| Lack of sufficient resources to buy food | 1016 | 66% | |
| Chronic medical conditions (e.g., congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes) | 1246 | 81% | |
| Cognitive changes/dementia | 1398 | 90% | |
| Depression | 1255 | 81% | |
| Infection | 853 | 55% | |
| Dysphagia | 1342 | 87% | |
| Polypharmacy/side effect of medications | 1225 | 79% | |
| Anorexia in older adults may directly or indirectly result in (select all that apply): | |||
| Malnutrition | 1437 | 93% | |
| Dehydration | 1306 | 85% | |
| Frailty | 1392 | 90% | |
| Impaired muscle function/sarcopenia | 1382 | 89% | |
| Anaemia | 1166 | 75% | |
| Pressure ulcers | 1113 | 72% | |
| Decreased energy | 1156 | 75% | |
| Depression | 929 | 60% | |
| Altered mental status | 1035 | 67% | |
| Confusion/impaired cognitive functioning | 977 | 63% | |
| Urinary tract infections | 745 | 48% | |
| Death | 1036 | 67% | |
| I use the definition and/or diagnostic criteria from professional organizations to support and confirm my identification of or diagnosis of anorexia in older adults (select all that apply): | |||
| American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) | 158 | 10% | |
| European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) | 196 | 13% | |
| SARC‐F | 224 | 14% | |
| Frailty scores | 389 | 25% | |
| Designated national/regional guidelines | 90 | 6% | |
| My institutional guidelines | 133 | 9% | |
| My own clinical judgement | 518 | 34% | |
| I do not know any tools to diagnose anorexia in older adults | 340 | 22% | |
| Other (free text) | 0 | ||
| I do not diagnose or screen for anorexia in older adults | 233 | 15% | |
Abbreviations: ADLs, activities of daily living; SARC‐F, Strength, Assistance with walking, Rising from a chair, Climbing stairs and Falls.