title: Evaluation of Handgrip Strength and Nutritional Risk of Congregate Nutrition Program Participants in Florida.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine if handgrip strength (HGS) is a predictor of nutritional risk in community-dwelling older adults. A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the relationship between HGS and nutritional risk using SCREEN 1. The setting was Congregate Nutrition program meal sites (n = 10) in North Central Florida and included community-dwelling older adults participating in the Congregate Nutrition program. Older adults (n = 136; 77.1 ± 8.9 y; 45 M, 91 F) participated in the study. Nutritional risk was identified in 68% of participants, with 10% exhibiting clinically relevant weakness (men, HGS < 26 kg; women, HGS < 16 kg), suggesting a vulnerable population. HGS was weakly associated with nutritional risk as assessed by SCREEN 1 (AUC = 0.59), but alternate cutpoints, 33 kg for men (mean of both hands) and 22 kg for women (highest of either hand), provided the best comparison to nutritional risk. In community-dwelling older adults, HGS was weakly associated with nutritional risk assessed using traditional screening. However, as existing research supports the inclusion of HGS in malnutrition screening in acute care, further research into the usefulness of HGS and possibly other measures of functional status in nutrition risk screening of community-dwelling older adults may be warranted.
authors: a Food Science and Human Nutrition Department , University of Florida , Gainesville , Florida , USA.
authors: Kelly A
authors: KA
authors: Springstroh
authors: b Marion County Cooperative Extension , University of Florida , Gainesville , Florida , USA.
authors: Nancy J
authors: NJ
authors: Gal
authors: a Food Science and Human Nutrition Department , University of Florida , Gainesville , Florida , USA.
authors: Amanda L
authors: AL
authors: Ford
authors: c College of Pharmacy and Nutrition , University of Saskatchewan , Canada.
authors: Susan J
authors: SJ
authors: Whiting
authors: a Food Science and Human Nutrition Department , University of Florida , Gainesville , Florida , USA.|c College of Pharmacy and Nutrition , University of Saskatchewan , Canada.
authors: Wendy J
authors: WJ
authors: Dahl
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D005523:Food Supply; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Congregate meal; handgrip strength; nutritional risk; older adult