Maryam Saghafi-Asl1, Elnaz Vaghef-Mehrabany2. 1. Nutrition Research Center, Department of Biochemistry and Diet Therapy, School of Nutrition & Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 5166614711, Iran. 2. Talented Students Center, School of Nutrition & Food Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz 5166614711, Iran. Electronic address: elnaz.vaghef@gmail.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Only a limited number of studies have compared nursing home and community residing elderly in terms of health-related issues. The present study aimed to compare nutritional status and its associated factors between nursing home residents and community-dwelling seniors. METHODS: In this case-control, age- and gender-matched study in Tabriz (East Azarbaijan, Iran), elderly subjects aged 65 years and older were recruited from nursing homes (n = 76) and community (n = 88). Anthropometric, blood pressure and dietary intake measurements, as well as biochemical assays were performed. Nutritional status (Mini Nutritional Assessment: MNA), cognitive function (Mini Mental State Examination: MMSE) and physical performance (Barthel Index) were assessed and compared between the two settings. RESULTS: Nursing home residents had significantly lower body mass index (BMI), limbs, waist and hip circumferences, and diastolic blood pressure. Caloric and protein intake of the groups were similar, while nursing home residents received lower amounts of many micronutrients and saturated fats and higher polyunsaturated fats. MNA, MMSE and Barthel index scores were significantly different between the groups, all of them in favor of the free living elderly (p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p = 0.014, respectively). Laboratory tests revealed significantly lower levels of hemoglobin, folate, fasting blood sugar, insulin, albumin, prealbumin, creatinine and uric acid in the nursing home group; however, mean cell volume (MCV) and HDL-cholesterol were higher in this group. CONCLUSION: Elderly people living in nursing homes have lower BMI, suffer from many nutritional deficiencies and are predisposed to malnutrition, impaired cognition and deteriorating physical performance, compared to community dwelling seniors.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Only a limited number of studies have compared nursing home and community residing elderly in terms of health-related issues. The present study aimed to compare nutritional status and its associated factors between nursing home residents and community-dwelling seniors. METHODS: In this case-control, age- and gender-matched study in Tabriz (East Azarbaijan, Iran), elderly subjects aged 65 years and older were recruited from nursing homes (n = 76) and community (n = 88). Anthropometric, blood pressure and dietary intake measurements, as well as biochemical assays were performed. Nutritional status (Mini Nutritional Assessment: MNA), cognitive function (Mini Mental State Examination: MMSE) and physical performance (Barthel Index) were assessed and compared between the two settings. RESULTS: Nursing home residents had significantly lower body mass index (BMI), limbs, waist and hip circumferences, and diastolic blood pressure. Caloric and protein intake of the groups were similar, while nursing home residents received lower amounts of many micronutrients and saturated fats and higher polyunsaturated fats. MNA, MMSE and Barthel index scores were significantly different between the groups, all of them in favor of the free living elderly (p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p = 0.014, respectively). Laboratory tests revealed significantly lower levels of hemoglobin, folate, fasting blood sugar, insulin, albumin, prealbumin, creatinine and uric acid in the nursing home group; however, mean cell volume (MCV) and HDL-cholesterol were higher in this group. CONCLUSION: Elderly people living in nursing homes have lower BMI, suffer from many nutritional deficiencies and are predisposed to malnutrition, impaired cognition and deteriorating physical performance, compared to community dwelling seniors.
Authors: María Consuelo Velázquez-Alva; María Esther Irigoyen-Camacho; María Fernanda Cabrer-Rosales; Irina Lazarevich; Isabel Arrieta-Cruz; Roger Gutiérrez-Juárez; Marco Antonio Zepeda-Zepeda Journal: Nutrients Date: 2020-08-13 Impact factor: 5.717