Xiaoxing Lai1, Hongwei Zhu2, Hongdi Du2, Xiaopeng Huo3, Kang Yu4. 1. Department of Health Care, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 100730, Beijing, China. laixx86@163.com. 2. Department of Health Care, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 100730, Beijing, China. 3. Department of Health Care, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 100730, Beijing, China. huoxp001@126.com. 4. Department of Clinical Nutrition, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, 100730, Beijing, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nutrition is associated with frailty, functional impairments, and mortality in elderly people. Only a few studies focused on oldest-old hospitalized patients with worse health and more comorbidities compared with the general older adults in China. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the nutritional risk, malnutrition, and nutritional support status of oldest-old hospitalized patients (≥80 years of age) in China, and to provide a basis for implementing an effective nutritional intervention. METHODS: This study involved 358 oldest-old patients of Peking Union Medical College Hospital in China. The Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 scale was used to assess nutritional risk. Malnutrition was defined as body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 kg/m2; or unwanted weight loss >10% at any time, or unwanted weight loss >5% in recent 3 months and BMI < 22 kg/m2. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with nutritional risk. RESULTS: The overall frequency of nutritional risk and malnutrition was 50.3% (180/358) and 36.0% (129/358), respectively. Also, 134 (37.3%) patients received nutritional support; the ratio of parenteral nutrition (PN) to enteral nutrition (EN) was 1.35:1. Further, 106 (58.9%) patients with nutritional risk received nutritional support. The number of chronic diseases and age were protective factors, and activities of daily living (ADL) were risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: The overall frequencies of nutritional risk and malnutrition of oldest-old hospitalized patients were high, and the rates of EN and PN were low. Nutritional risk was associated with the number of chronic diseases, age, and ADL.
BACKGROUND: Nutrition is associated with frailty, functional impairments, and mortality in elderly people. Only a few studies focused on oldest-old hospitalized patients with worse health and more comorbidities compared with the general older adults in China. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the nutritional risk, malnutrition, and nutritional support status of oldest-old hospitalized patients (≥80 years of age) in China, and to provide a basis for implementing an effective nutritional intervention. METHODS: This study involved 358 oldest-old patients of Peking Union Medical College Hospital in China. The Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 scale was used to assess nutritional risk. Malnutrition was defined as body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 kg/m2; or unwanted weight loss >10% at any time, or unwanted weight loss >5% in recent 3 months and BMI < 22 kg/m2. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with nutritional risk. RESULTS: The overall frequency of nutritional risk and malnutrition was 50.3% (180/358) and 36.0% (129/358), respectively. Also, 134 (37.3%) patients received nutritional support; the ratio of parenteral nutrition (PN) to enteral nutrition (EN) was 1.35:1. Further, 106 (58.9%) patients with nutritional risk received nutritional support. The number of chronic diseases and age were protective factors, and activities of daily living (ADL) were risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: The overall frequencies of nutritional risk and malnutrition of oldest-old hospitalized patients were high, and the rates of EN and PN were low. Nutritional risk was associated with the number of chronic diseases, age, and ADL.