title: Accumulation of geriatric conditions is associated with poor nutritional status in dependent older people living in the community and in nursing homes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the association between nutritional status and the prevalence of geriatric conditions in dependent older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional observational study of dependent older adults aged 65years or older who were living either in the community (n = 511, mean age 81.2years) or in nursing homes (n = 587, mean age 85.2years) was carried out. Data included the participants' demographic characteristics, basic activities of daily living, Charlson Comorbidity Index and the prevalence of eight geriatric conditions (visual impairment, hearing impairment, falls, bladder control problems, cognitive impairment, impaired mobility, swallowing disturbance and loss of appetite). Nutritional status was assessed by the Mini Nutritional Assessment short form (MNA-SF).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1098 participants, 21.4% (n = 235) were categorized as "malnourished", according to the MNA-SF classification. Participants in the "malnourished" group had a greater number of geriatric conditions than those in the other two groups. A higher prevalence of all the geriatric conditions except for falls was detected in the group with poorer nutritional status. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that malnutrition was associated with the number of geriatric conditions, but not with that of comorbidities, even after controlling for confounders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Malnutrition was confirmed to have significant associations with geriatric conditions in dependent older adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Healthcare & Geriatrics, Nagoya University Graduate, School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Izawa
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Enoki
authors.forename: Yuske
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuzuya
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: dependent elderly people; geriatric conditions; nutritional status