title: Prevalence and determinants for malnutrition in geriatric outpatients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Few data is available on the nutritional status of geriatric outpatients. The aim of this study is to describe the nutritional status and its clinical correlates of independently living geriatric older individuals visiting a geriatric outpatient department.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 2005 to 2010, all consecutive patients visiting a geriatric outpatient department in the Netherlands were screened for malnutrition. Nutritional status was assessed by the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Determinants of malnutrition were categorized into somatic factors (medicine use, comorbidity, walking aid, falls, urinary incontinence), psychological factors (GDS-15 depression scale, MMSE cognition scale), functional status (Activities of Daily Life (ADL), Instrumental ADL (IADL)), social factors (children, marital status), and life style factors (smoking, alcohol use). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses, adjusted for age and sex and all other risk factors were performed to identify correlates of malnutrition (MNA < 17).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Included were 448 outpatients, mean (SD) age was 80 (7) years and 38% was men. Prevalence of malnutrition and risk for malnutrition were 17% and 58%. Depression, being IADL dependent, and smoking were independently associated with an increased risk of malnutrition with OR's (95%CI) of 2.6 (1.3-5.3), 2.8 (1.3-6.4), 5.5 (1.9-16.4) respectively. Alcohol use was associated with a decreased risk (OR 0.4 (0.2-0.9)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malnutrition is highly prevalent among geriatric outpatients and is independently associated with depressive symptoms, poor functional status, and life style factors. Our results emphasize the importance of integrating nutritional assessment within a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Future longitudinal studies should be performed to examine the effects of causal relationships and multifactorial interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Internal Medicine, VU University Medical Center, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.vanbokhorst@vumc.nl.
authors.forename: Marian A E
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: van Bokhorst-de van der Schueren
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lonterman-Monasch
authors.forename: Oscar J
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: de Vries
authors.forename: Sven A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Danner
authors.forename: Mark H H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Majon
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muller
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000886:Anthropometry; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009426:Netherlands; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010045:Outpatients; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D015431:Weight Loss
keywords: Geriatric outpatients; Malnutrition; Mini nutritional assessment; Nutritional status