Nursing home food services linked with risk of malnutrition.
OBJECTIVE
Links between food service characteristics and residents' risk of malnutrition were examined.


METHODS
Cognitively intact residents meeting inclusion criteria and living in one of 38 participating nursing homes were randomly sampled. The final sample consisted of 132 residents, who were screened for risk of malnutrition and completed a face-to-face interview questionnaire about dining experiences. Additional data came from participants' medical charts, and each institution's food service manager completed a written questionnaire. Frequencies and logistic regressions were used to describe the sample and to examine relationships between risk of malnutrition and food service characteristics.


RESULTS
Overall, 37.4% of participants were at risk of malnutrition. Food service factors, including food packages, lids, and dishes that were difficult to manipulate (b=0.285, p=0.009), bulk food-delivery systems (b=1.329, p=0.036), overall food satisfaction (b=0.253, p=0.044), menu cycle length (b=-2.162, p=0.003), and porcelain dishes (b=-0.345, p=0.052), all were significantly associated with risk of malnutrition.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings clearly show a need for nursing homes to modify certain aspects of food service that may increase the risk of malnutrition among cognitively intact residents.
Carrier
Natalie
N
Université de Moncton, Moncton, NB.
Ouellet
Denise
D
West
Gale E
GE
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005521:Food Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards*; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008612:Menu Planning / Q000592:standards; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009752:Nutritional Status; D018570:Risk Assessment