title: The prevalence of malnutrition according to the new ESPEN definition in four diverse populations.
abstract: Consensus on the definition of malnutrition has not yet been reached. Recently, The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) proposed a consensus definition of malnutrition. The aim of the present study was to describe the prevalence of malnutrition according to the ESPEN definition in four diverse populations.
  
  
  
  In total, 349 acutely ill middle-aged patients, 135 geriatric outpatients, 306 healthy old individuals and 179 healthy young individuals were included in the study. Subjects were screened for risk of malnutrition using the SNAQ. The ESPEN definition of malnutrition, i.e. low BMI (< 18.5 kg/m(2)) or a combination of unintentional weight loss and low FFMI or low BMI was applied to all subjects.
  
  
  
  Screening identified 0, 0.5, 10 and 30% of the healthy young, the healthy old, the geriatric outpatients and the acutely ill middle-aged patients as being at risk of malnutrition. The prevalence of malnutrition ranged from 0% in the healthy young, 0.5% in healthy old individuals, 6% in the geriatric outpatients to 14% in the acutely ill middle-aged patients. Prevalence of low FFMI was observed in all four populations (14-33%), but concurred less frequently with weight loss (0-13%).
  
  
  
  Using the ESPEN definition, 0%-14% malnutrition was found in the diverse populations. Further work is needed to fully address the validity of a two-step approach, including risk assessment as an initial step in screening and defining malnutrition. Furthermore, assessing the predictive validity of the ESPEN definition is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A G M
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Rojer
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Internal Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Dutch Malnutrition Steering Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kruizenga
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Internal Medicine, Amstelland Hospital, Amstelveen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Trappenburg
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Reijnierse
authors.affiliation: Gerontology Research Centre and Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sipilä
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Sciences & Graduate Entry Medicine, MRC-ARUK Centre of Excellence for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, University of Nottingham, Royal Derby Hospital Centre, UK.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Narici
authors.affiliation: UPMC UM 76, INSERM U 974, CNRS 7215, Institut de Myologie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Hogrel
authors.affiliation: UPMC UM 76, INSERM U 974, CNRS 7215, Institut de Myologie, Paris, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Butler-Browne
authors.affiliation: School of Healthcare Science, John Dalton Building, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5GD, UK.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: McPhee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Exercise Biology and Physiotherapy, University of Tartu, Centre of Behavioral and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pääsuke
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C G M
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Meskers
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatrics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Internal Medicine, Amstelland Hospital, Amstelveen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Internal Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Nutrition, Sports and Health, Faculty of Health and Social Studies, HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.devanderschueren@vumc.nl.
authors.forename: M A E
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: de van der Schueren
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D032921:Consensus; D058620:Elder Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000379:methods; D009752:Nutritional Status; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015995:Prevalence; D012306:Risk; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012958:Societies, Scientific; D013851:Thinness / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Body mass index; Definition; Fat free mass index; Malnutrition; Prevalence