Nutrition and Frailty in Older Persons

Relation Between Nutrition and Frailty in Community-dwelling Older Persons

The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between nutrition and frailty in older community-living persons.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Frailty

Detailed Description

Nutrition is regarded as an important etiologic factor in the development of frailty in older adults. To date the relation between nutrition and frailty is only poorly described.

Thus, it is the purpose of this study to investigate the association between different nutrition characteristics and frailty in older community-living persons.

206 volunteers aged 75 years or older were included in this cross-sectional study. Nutritional assessment included the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA), a food-frequency questionnaire and a standardised three-day dietary record. Intake of energy and nutrients was calculated using the German nutrient database BLS II.2. Dietary patterns were described by different dietary scores. Frailty was defined according to Fried et al. based on the following criteria: weight loss, exhaustion, grip strength, walking speed and physical activity. In addition several standardised tests were performed to characterise physical performance (Timed Up & Go, repeated chair stands, balance tests).

The association between nutritional aspects and physical performance is evaluated in an explorative manner.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 206

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Germany
  • Nürnberg, Germany, 90419
    • Institute for Biomedicine of Aging, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 75 years and older (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Community-living persons aged 75 years or older

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• age of 75 years and older
• living independently at home

Exclusion Criteria:

• acute illness
• cognitive impairment (Mini Mental State Examination ≥ 24 out of 30 points)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
No treatment

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Frailty (according to Fried et al.)	Frailty is defined as the presence of at least 3 of the following criteria: self-reported weight loss of more than 4.5 kg in the last year; exhaustion (self-reported feeling that everything was an effort or one could not get "going" > 2 times a week); low grip strength (men ≤ 29-32 kg, women ≤ 17-21 kg depending on BMI),; low walking speed (> 6-7 sec/ 4.57 m, depending on gender and height); low physical activity (men < 383 kcal/ week, women < 270 kcal/ week)	1 day

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Impaired physical performance (according to Guralnik et al.)	Impaired physical performance is definded as less than 9 points in the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Three physical performance tests (balance, walking speed and chair-rise) are performed in a standardised manner and rated with 0-4 points each. SPPB is the sum score of these three test resuslts with a maximum of 12 points indicating the best physical performance.	1 day

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School
• Collaborators: Société des Produits Nestlé (SPN)

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Fried LP, Tangen CM, Walston J, Newman AB, Hirsch C, Gottdiener J, Seeman T, Tracy R, Kop WJ, Burke G, McBurnie MA; Cardiovascular Health Study Collaborative Research Group. Frailty in older adults: evidence for a phenotype. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2001 Mar;56(3):M146-56. doi: 10.1093/gerona/56.3.m146.
• Guralnik JM, Simonsick EM, Ferrucci L, Glynn RJ, Berkman LF, Blazer DG, Scherr PA, Wallace RB. A short physical performance battery assessing lower extremity function: association with self-reported disability and prediction of mortality and nursing home admission. J Gerontol. 1994 Mar;49(2):M85-94. doi: 10.1093/geronj/49.2.m85.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: August 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (Actual): September 1, 2010
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 7, 2011
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 11, 2011
• First Posted (Estimated): September 13, 2011

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 8, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 7, 2024
• Last Verified: May 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Frailty
• Other Study ID Numbers: IBA-2011(1)