title: Nutritional status and quality of life in different populations of older people in Poland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the potential association of three distinct nutritional status measures (body mass index (BMI), calf circumference (CC) and the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA)) with health-related quality of life (HRQL) assessed with Euroqol 5D questionnaire in different populations of elderly people in Poland.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group was comprised of 1003 community-dwelling subjects from the urban environment, 890 subjects from the rural environment and 879 subjects from an institutional environment (nursing homes). Bivariate and multivariate associations were identified between nutritional status measures and HRQL adjusted for demographic and social variables, health status, physical function and mental status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nutrition status indices (BMI, CC and MNA) were generally higher in the urban than in the rural environment and clearly worse in institutionalised elderly. In both community-dwelling groups, BMI and CC were negatively related to several Euroqol scores. In institutional residents, of opposite relationships were observed: higher values of these variables were connected with less frequent reporting of problems in Euroqol. In all the three groups, associations between HRQL scores and MNA were very similar: higher values of MNA were significantly connected with less frequent reporting of problems in Euroqol.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BMI and CC, as overweight/obesity measures, are independent predictors of lower HRQL in urban and rural community-dwelling seniors and higher HRQL in institutionalised elderly. Poor nutritional state as measured by MNA is a similar determinant of well-being in all the three environments. This different relationship of popular overweight/obesity measures to HRQL should be taken into account while designing care for older people.
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Geriatrics, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland [2] Department of Physical Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kostka
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Geriatrics, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland [2] Institute of Nursing, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Borowiak
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kostka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011044:Poland; D011788:Quality of Life; D012424:Rural Population; D064407:Senior Centers; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population