The validity of nutritional status as a marker for future disability and depressive symptoms among high-risk older adults.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the validity of the DETERMINE Checklist as a marker for future functional disability, depressive symptoms, and mortality among high-risk older adults.


METHODS
A Cohort study.


METHODS
An Urban-suburban Midwestern community.


METHODS
Community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries at high risk for hospital admission who received geriatric evaluation and management (GEM) (n = 251).


METHODS
Demographic, health-related, functional, psychosocial, survival, and nutritional data were collected through telephone and in-home interviews.


RESULTS
GEM recipients with baseline Checklist scores of four or higher were found to be significantly more likely than those with lower scores to have functional disability or high levels of depressive symptoms a year later. Checklist scores did not predict mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
The 10-item Checklist could be used as a secondary screen to identify older persons who, without treatment, are at especially high-risk to have disability or depression a year later.
Boult
C
C
Department of Family Practice and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, St. Paul, USA.
Krinke
U B
UB
Urdangarin
C F
CF
Skarin
V
V
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003710:Demography; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016015:Logistic Models; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010343:Patient Admission; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D018881:Suburban Health; D015996:Survival Rate; D014504:Urban Health