Correlations between Nutritional Screening Score and Anthropometric Parameters in Institutionalized Elderly

Autori:

Laura MIHALACHE, Otilia NITA, Andreea GHERASIM, Alina Delia POPA, Mariana GRAUR, Lidia Iuliana ARHIRE

Cod: ISSN: 1583-3410 (print), ISSN: 1584-5397 (electronic)
Dimensiuni: pp. 111-121

How to cite this article:

Mihalache, L., Nita, O., Gherasim, A., Popa, A.D., Graur, M., Arhire, L.I. (2015). Correlations between Nutritional Screening Score and Anthropometric Parameters in Institutionalized Elderly. Revista de Cercetare si Interventie Sociala, 50, 111-121.

Abstract:

The aim of this study is to assess nutritional status in a group of institutionalized elderly and to establish correlations between nutritional screening score and anthropometric parameters. We analyzed a sample of 156 seniors, 62 (39.7%) men, 94 (60.3%) women, to whom we performed nutritional screening using Mini Nutritional Assessment - MNA and we evaluated anthropometric parameters (body mass index - BMI, waist circumference - WC, calf circumference - CC and midupper arm circumference - MUAC). In the group of elderly institutionalized to whom the MNA has been applied, 69.2% had optimal nutritional status, 24.4% had a score of screening indicating risk of malnutrition and 6.4% had a screening score corresponding to malnutrition. A significantly higher percentage of women had a screening score indicating malnutrition (9.6% vs. 1.6%) and a screening score showing risk of malnutrition (26.6% vs. 21%) (p=0.029). Analysis by gender showed strong correlation between BMI and WC value (r = 0.869) in men, and between MUAC and CC value (r = 0.838) in women (p<0.001). Nutritional screening score was positively correlated with all anthropometric parameters (r>0.400, p<0.001), the strongest correlation being recorded with CC (r = 0.528). MNA short form (MNA-SF) represents a useful tool for rapid nutritional screening of elderly, enabling the identification of individuals at risk for malnutrition and those with a score indicating malnutrition. Calf circumference is a parameter which is positively correlated with nutritional screening score in institutionalized elderly population, and can be proposed as a starting point in nutritional assessment algorithm.