title: Malnutrition and cognitive impairment among people 60 years of age and above living in regular housing and in special housing in Sweden: a population-based cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malnutrition is a common problem among older people and associated with reduced functional and cognitive ability. Furthermore, malnutrition among people living in special housing, i.e. in nursing homes or sheltered accommodation, appears to be more common than among those living in regular housing, i.e. in their own homes. However, it is still unclear if the relationship between malnutrition and impaired cognitive ability is connected to living arrangement, i.e. if the relationship is stronger among those who live alone compared to those who cohabit in regular housing.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose with the present study was to describe the relationship between nutritional status and cognitive ability among people 60 years of age and above in Sweden, with a focus on housing and living arrangement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study focused on people living in regular or in special housing and comprised 1,402 randomly selected individuals (60-96 years of age) who lived in one municipality in south-eastern Sweden and participated in SNAC-B (the Swedish study on Aging and Care - Blekinge), 2001-2003.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data regarding demography, nutrition and functional and cognitive ability were collected through questionnaires, medical examinations and structured interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The relationship was the strongest between cognitive ability and nutritional status among those living in special housing. Regardless of housing and living arrangement, older people with a moderate or severe cognitive impairment risked (OR 2.59-16.00) being malnourished, irrespective of functional ability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights that those with a moderate and severe cognitive impairment suffer a risk of developing malnutrition, irrespective of living and housing arrangement. The findings suggest that nurses in the social service and health care system need to consider changes in weight and nutritional intake as well as the individual needs of older people with cognitive impairment to avoid malnutrition.
authors.affiliation: Blekinge Institute of Technology, School of Health Science, SE-371 79 Karlskrona, Sweden. cecilia.fagerstrom@bth.se
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fagerström
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Palmqvist
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carlsson
authors.forename: Ylva
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hellström
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology