Home-made oral supplement as nutritional support of old nursing home residents, who are undernourished or at risk of undernutrition based on the MNA. A pilot trial. Mini Nutritional Assessment.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this pilot study was to examine the effect of a home-made oral supplement on body weight and energy intake of old people residing in a nursing home.


METHODS
Sixty-six old (65+ years) nursing home residents were included and divided into three classes according to their Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) scores. Participants who scored 17-23.5 MNA points (at risk of undernutrition) and had a BMI <24 kg/m2 were randomly allocated (block randomization) to two groups: B and C. Participants with <17 MNA-points (undernourished) were allocated to group A. The participants allocated to groups A and B received a home-made oral supplement every evening for two consecutive months.


RESULTS
The results after two months showed that compliance with the supplement was good and daily intake from the supplement averaged 1.6 MJ. The total energy intake in group A significantly increased (p<0.001), without suppressing the intake of energy from normal food. Group B experienced a decrease in the intake of normal food and hence no overall change in food intake. Body weight was unchanged in all groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Our limited data suggest that a home-made oral supplement can improve the total energy intake of nursing home residents who are undernourished according to the MNA.
Beck
Anne Marie
AM
Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, Soeborg. be@fdir.dk
Ovesen
Lars
L
Schroll
Marianne
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001835:Body Weight; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D018529:Nutritional Support; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015995:Prevalence; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012307:Risk Factors