Table 1.

Nutritional screening variables of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), among recently hospitalized elderly patients (N = 240).

Variable	Anwers	M (n = 70)		RM (n = 89)		A (n = 81)		Chi-square
		n	%	n	%	N	%
Reduced food intake in the last 3 moths	Severe	45	64.2	21	23.6	4	4.9	p < 0.001
	Moderate	20	28.6	39	43.8	9	11.1	χ2 = 118.25
	Absent	5	7.2	29	32.6	68	84.0
Weight loss in the last 3 months	More than 3 kg	47	67.2	32	35.9	4	4.9
	Does not know	10	14.3	18	20.2	2	2.5	p < 0.005
	Between 1 and 3 kg	9	12.8	18	20.2	20	24.7	χ2 = 103.34
	Absent	4	5.7	21	23.6	55	67.9
Mobility	Bedbound or wheelchair-bound	37	52.8	9	10.2	6	7.4	p < 0.001
	Walks only at home	16	22.8	10	11.2	4	4.9	χ2 = 80.77
	Normal	17	24.4	70	78.6	71	87.7
Stress or acute illness in the last months	Yes No	42 28	60.0 40.0	32 57	35.9 64.1	10 71	12.3 87.7	p < 0.007 χ2 = 37.53
Has neuropsychological problems, dementia or depression	Severe	18	25.8	9	10.2	1	1.25	p < 0.001
	Mild dementia	15	21.4	3	3.4	1	1.3	χ2 = 52.58
	Absent	37	52.8	77	86.5	79	97.5
Arm circumference (AC)	≤5	39	58.2	14	15.9	2	2.5	p < 0.003
(N = 236)	P5 < AC ≤ P10	0	0	13	14.8	9	11.1	χ2 = 75.50
	P10 < AC < P85	25	37.3	45	51.1	49	60.5
	AC ≥ P85	3	4.5	16	18.2	21	25.9

M = malnourished; RM = Risk of malnutrition; A = Adequate.