title: Body weight changes in elderly psychogeriatric nursing home residents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to identify predictors of body weight change in nursing home patients with possible to severe dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  For 24 weeks, 108 elderly residents of a nursing home were followed. Body weight was measured every 2 weeks. Other anthropometric characteristics, dietary intake, food behavior restrictions, psychological characteristics, medical status, and use of medicines were measured at baseline. Dietary intake was measured with a combined 3-day food record and by observations during the hot meals. Food behavior restrictions were measured following the classification of Berkhout. Dependency was measured by a questionnaire (Care Index Geriatrics), which measures restrictions in cognitive, physical, and social functioning. A generalized linear mixed effects model was used to investigate weight changes over time. The model was adjusted for age and sex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the follow-up period, 26% of the participants lost and 22% gained at least 2 kg of body weight. Dependency (beta = -0.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.21, -0.01) and decreased appetite (beta = -2.17, 95% CI = -4.32, -0.01) were significantly associated with body weight loss, whereas body mass index (beta = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.98, 2.51) and intake of fat (beta = 0.07, 95% CI = 0.01, 0.15) were predictors of weight gain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dependency, body mass index, intake of fat, and decreased appetite are significant predictors of body weight changes.
authors.affiliation: Wageningen University, Division of Human Nutrition, P.O. Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen, The Netherlands. Kim.Knoops@wur.nl
authors.forename: Kim T B
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Knoops
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Slump
authors.forename: Lisette C P G M
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: de Groot
authors.forename: Wendeline
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wouters-Wesseling
authors.forename: Marije L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Brouwer
authors.forename: Wija A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: van Staveren
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001066:Appetite / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D015430:Weight Gain; D015431:Weight Loss