Table 3.
Characteristics of the nursing home study population (n = 2480), by nutritional status (based on MNA-SF)
| Parameter | Malnourished (n = 336, 14%) | At risk of malnutrition (n = 1214, 49%) | Normal nutritional status (n = 907, 37%) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) mean ± SD | 86.7 ± 6.4 | 86.7 ± 6.2 | 85.6 ± 6.2 | < 0.001 |
| Sex (% male/female) | 22/78 | 20/80 | 23/77 | 0.258 |
| Number of comorbidities mean ± SD | 1.9 ± 1.2 | 1.6 ± 1.1 | 1.1 ± 1.0 | < 0.001 |
| BMI (kg/m2) ± SD | 19.7 (3.9) | 23.2 (4.8) | 27.4 (4.7) | < 0.001 |
| Weight loss last 3 months | < 0.001 | |||
| No weight loss | 34 (10%) | 679 (56%) | 817 (90%) | |
| 1–3 kg | 85 (25%) | 307 (25%) | 77 (9%) | |
| 3–6 kg | 101 (30%) | 39 (3%) | 0 | |
| > 6 kg | 39 (12%) | 8 (1%) | 0 | |
| Unknown | 77 (23%) | 181 (15%) | 13 (1%) | |
| Use of ONS | 73 (22%) | 111 (9%) | 19 (2%) | < 0.001 |
| Being able to climb stairs | 10 (3%) | 130 (11%) | 246 (27%) | < 0.001 |
| Being able to walk outside for 5 min | 36 (11%) | 310 (26%) | 496 (55%) | < 0.001 |
| Katz ADL score | < 0.001 | |||
| Cat O | 13 (4%) | 133 (11%) | 312 (34%) | |
| Cat A | 13 (4%) | 113 (9%) | 219 (24%) | |
| Cat B | 31 (9%) | 126 (10%) | 85 (9%) | |
| Cat C | 58 (17%) | 175 (14%) | 92 (10%) | |
| Cat D (D = demented) | 15 (5%) | 112 (9%) | 109 (12%) | |
| Cat C_D (fully dependent) | 206 (61%) | 555 (46%) | 90 (10%) | |
Data are presented as n (%), except for age, sex, number of comorbidities, and BMI. Nutritional status is missing in n = 23; results may therefore not add up to 100%
ADL activities of daily living, BMI body mass index, MNA-SF mini nutritional assessment—short form, ONS oral nutritional supplement