title: Measuring Appetite with the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire Identifies Hospitalised Older People at Risk of Worse Health Outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Poor appetite is commonly reported by older people but is rarely measured. The Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ) was validated to predict weight loss in community dwelling older adults but has been little used in hospitals. We evaluated it in older women on admission to hospital and examined associations with healthcare outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal observational with follow-up at six months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Female acute Medicine for Older People wards at a University hospital in England.
  
  
  METHODS
  179 female inpatients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Age, weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), grip strength, SNAQ, Barthel Index Score, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Geriatric Depression Scale: Short Form (GDS-SF), Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), category of domicile and receipt of care were measured soon after admission and repeated at six month follow-up. The length of hospital stay (LOS), hospital acquired infection, readmissions and deaths by follow-up were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  179 female participants mean age 87 (SD 4.7) years were recruited. 42% of participants had a low SNAQ score (<14, indicating poor appetite). A low SNAQ score was associated with an increased risk of hospital acquired infection (OR 3.53; 95% CI: 1.48, 8.41; p=0.004) and with risk of death (HR 2.29; 95% CI: 1.12, 4.68; p = 0.023) by follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Poor appetite was common among the older hospitalised women studied, and was associated with higher risk of poor healthcare outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Anna L Pilgrim, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, National Institute for Health Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK, alp@mrc.soton.ac.uk.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Pilgrim
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baylis
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Jameson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sayer
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Roberts
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000855:Anorexia; D001066:Appetite; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002423:Cause of Death; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000209:etiology; D002149:Energy Intake; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006304:Health Status; D006760:Hospitalization; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000150:complications; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010359:Patient Readmission; D012306:Risk; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015431:Weight Loss