Nutritional Status Among Older Adults. Risk Factors and Consequences of Malnutrition

The aim of the study is to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition among older adults admitted to hospital and to analyse predictive factors for malnutrition. Further, the aim was to analyse the association between nutritional status and all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

The hypothesis is that malnourished patients have a higher mortality then well-nourished patients after three years.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Malnutrition

Detailed Description

The baseline survey was a cross-sectional study of 1771 patients aged ≥65 years who were admitted to hospital. Nutritional status was assessed using the MNA instrument, and possible risk factors associated with malnutrition were recorded during the hospital stay. All-cause mortality was followed up after median 3.5 years s in a cohort study of 1767 participants. Cause-specific mortality was followed up after median 4.7 years in a cohort of 1767 participants. Previous dietary intake in middle-aged and older adults was recorded at basline in 725 participants, who had their nutritional status assessed with the MNA when admitted to hospital 10 years later.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 1771

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years and older (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

The included sample comprised 1771 patients 65 years and older, consecutively admitted during fifteen months to two internal medicine wards (n = 706), two surgical wards (n = 681), and one orthopaedic ward (n = 384) at the Central hospital in Västerås, Sweden.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients 65 years or older

Exclusion Criteria:

• unable to communicate and no relative could anwer the questions (n = 356)
• receiving palliative care (n = 44)
• impossible to measure height or weight (n = 22)
• miscellanious (n = 71)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Nutritional status according to the screening instrument Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA)	[The 18 questions in the MNA instrument are weighted, and the threshold values of the instrument categorize patients into three nutritional status groups: well-nourished (MNA score 24-30), at risk of malnutrition (MNA score 17-23.5), or malnourished (MNA score <17).	30 minutes
All-cause mortality	Survival was calculated from the date of the MNA screening to the date of death.	All-cause mortality was analyzed after median 3.5 years.
Cause-specific mortality	Survival was calculated from the date of the MNA screening to the date of cause-specific death.	Cause-specific mortality was analyzed after median 4.7 years.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Uppsala University
• Collaborators: Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, Sweden
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Leif Bergkvist, Professor, The Center for Clinical research, the County Council of Vestmanland/Uppsala University, Sweden

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2008
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2009
• Study Completion (Actual): May 1, 2009

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 12, 2010
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 12, 2010
• First Posted (Estimate): July 13, 2010

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): August 26, 2015
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 25, 2015
• Last Verified: May 1, 2011

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Prevalence; Mortality; Malnutrition; Aged; Aged 80 and over
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nutrition Disorders; Malnutrition
• Other Study ID Numbers: LTV-1211142