Malnutrition and associated factors in Chinese patients with Parkinson's disease: Results from a pilot investigation.
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and determine the associations between malnutrition and non-motor symptoms (NMS).


METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional assessment of 117 consecutive outpatients with PD and their respective caregivers. The participants were interviewed and assessed using various scales, including the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Non-Motor Symptoms questionnaire for Parkinson's disease (NMS quest), Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA). We also investigated the socio-demographic characteristics of the subjects.


RESULTS
The prevalence of malnutrition (MNA score < 17) was 1.71%, and 19.66% patients were at risk of malnutrition (17 <or= MNA score <or= 23.5). Poor nutrition (malnutrition and at risk of malnutrition) was associated with some of the NMS including the constipation, vomiting, loss of interest, inability to concentrate and sadness, and high scores in PSQI, GDS, and HAMA. Constipation (OR, 6.646; 95% CI, 1.561-28,300; P = 0.010) and GDS scores (OR, 1.166; 95% CI, 1.042-1.304; P = 0.007) were considered to be the 2 most important predictors of nutritional impairment.


CONCLUSIONS
Nearly 22% of PD patients were malnourished or at the risk of malnutrition and the negative association between NMSs and nutritional care needs to be determined by further studies.
Wang
Gang
G
Department of Neurology & Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
Wan
Ying
Y
Cheng
Qi
Q
Xiao
Qin
Q
Wang
Ying
Y
Zhang
Jing
J
Ma
Jian-Fang
JF
Wang
Xi-Jin
XJ
Zhou
Hai-Yan
HY
Chen
Sheng-Di
SD
D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications*; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires