title: Nutritional risk and body composition in free-living elderly participating in congregate meal-site programs.
abstract: Early detection of nutritional risk in free-living elderly is critical in healthcare, yet comprehensive measurements are time consuming and can be frustrating to both health professionals and elderly. In addition, body composition measurements provide information regarding fat and fat-free mass that have been linked to morbidity and mortality in elderly. In this study, nutritional risk was assessed in 69 elderly, aged 50-90 years, attending congregate meal-site programs, using Mini Nutritional Assessment, and body composition was assessed by bioelectric impedance. Analysis revealed that 31.9% of the elderly were at risk for malnutrition and 2.9% were malnourished. Males had significantly greater body weight, height and fat-free mass, and females had significantly greater body fat as percentage of body weight, but there was no gender difference in nutritional risk. Of elderly, 36.2% had body mass index > 85th percentile and 8.7% < 15th percentile using national population reference standards. Age-related decline in fat-free mass was an early indicator of changes in body composition.
authors.affiliation: College of Education and Health Sciences, Director, Didactic Program in Dietetics, Bradley University, 215 Bradley Hall, 1501 W. Bradley Ave., Peoria, IL 61625, USA. jad@bradley.edu
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Marjorie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Getz
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000886:Anthropometry; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D005522:Food Services; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment