Dietary screening tool identifies nutritional risk in older adults.
BACKGROUND
No rapid methods exist for screening overall dietary intakes in older adults.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a scoring system for a diet screening tool to identify nutritional risk in community-dwelling older adults.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study in older adults (n = 204) who reside in rural areas examined nutrition status by using an in-person interview, biochemical measures, and four 24-h recalls that included the use of dietary supplements.


RESULTS
The dietary screening tool was able to characterize 3 levels of nutritional risk: at risk, possible risk, and not at risk. Individuals classified as at nutritional risk had significantly lower indicators of diet quality (Healthy Eating Index and Mean Adequacy Ratio) and intakes of protein, most micronutrients, dietary fiber, fruit, and vegetables. The at-risk group had higher intakes of fats and oils and refined grains. The at-risk group also had the lowest serum vitamin B-12, folate, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin concentrations. The not-at-nutritional-risk group had significantly higher lycopene and beta-carotene and lower homocysteine and methylmalonic acid concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
The dietary screening tool is a simple and practical tool that can help to detect nutritional risk in older adults.
Bailey
Regan L
RL
Office of Dietary Supplements, the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-7517, USA. baileyr@mail.nih.gov
Miller
Paige E
PE
Mitchell
Diane C
DC
Hartman
Terryl J
TJ
Lawrence
Frank R
FR
Sempos
Christopher T
CT
Smiciklas-Wright
Helen
H
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D002149:Energy Intake; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008568:Memory; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires