title: Nutritional status and associations with falls, balance, mobility and functionality during hospital admission.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore associations between nutritional status, falls and selected falls risk factors amongst older hospitalized people. Lengths of stay amongst fallers and the malnourished were assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational longitudinal cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Geriatric Assessment and Rehabilitation Unit (GARU) of a tertiary teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Admissions to the GARU during a six-month period were included.
  
  
  METHODS
  Associations between nutritional status and falls during hospitalization, reported preadmission history of falls, functional status, balance and mobility during GARU admission were analysed. Associations between nutritional status or experiencing a hospital fall and length of stay were also examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Malnutrition prevalence was 39% (75/194, 95% CI 32-46%) with odds of falling during admission being 1.49 (95%CI: 0.81, 2.75), p< 0.20). Patients assessed as malnourished were older (p<0.001) and more likely to have a poorer score on both the admission (p<0.05) and discharge (p<0.009) timed "Up and Go" test. Malnutrition was associated with reduced mobility (p<0.05). Those who fell during admission had statistically greater lengths of stay compared with non-fallers [median (range): 57.0 (7-127) vs 35.0 (5-227) days; p<0.002].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evidence of reduced mobility was evident during GARU admission amongst older people assessed as malnourished. Considering the results, a larger study concerning nutritional status, functionality and falls in the hospitalized population is warranted. The influence of nutritional status upon a person's physical functioning should be considered more broadly in falls research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Australia. angela_vivanti@health.qld.gov.au
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vivanti
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haines
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D009068:Movement; D009752:Nutritional Status; D019370:Observation; D004856:Postural Balance; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012307:Risk Factors