title: Evaluation of nutritional status and skin condition among elderly residents in a long-term care hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The availability of nutritional screening tools for older adults is limited, depending on their physical characteristics or the setting. We investigated the relationships between various nutritional indicators and skin conditions as possible screening indicators.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A long-term care hospital in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  90 elderly residents who were aged ≥65 years old.
  
  
  METHODS
  The nutritional status of the residents was assessed by body mass index (BMI), involuntary weight loss, arm muscle area, and serum albumin and prealbumin levels. Leg skin condition was evaluated by: 1) functional factors including pH, hydration and transepidermal water loss; 2) skin color including L*, a*, b* and individual typology angle (ITA°) using a tristimulus colorimetric instrument; and 3) skin morphology. Repeated measures analysis of variance was employed, adjusted for demographic characteristics and room temperature, with measurement site as the repeated variable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the skin indicators, b* was significantly correlated with BMI (p=0.018), and weight loss over the previous month (p=0.042) and 6 months (p=0.002). Additionally, ITA° was associated with weight loss over 1 month (p=0.013). Both b* and ITA° showed the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.64 to 0.80 for weight loss >2% over 1 month.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Residents with poorer nutritional status had yellower and darker skin color.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontological Nursing/Wound Care Management, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iizaka
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sugama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Minematsu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oba
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tabata
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sanada
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019540:Area Under Curve; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003116:Color; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006760:Hospitalization; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007866:Leg; D008297:Male; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012372:ROC Curve; D012867:Skin; D015431:Weight Loss