title: Changes in nutritional status in nursing home residents and associated factors in nutritional status decline: a secondary data analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe changes in the nutritional status of nursing home residents over a period of 1 year and identify factors associated with a decline in nutritional status.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The maintenance of good nutritional status is important for nursing home residents. Therefore, it is essential to identify risk factors that indicate a decline in nutritional status to take early prevention steps.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary data analysis of repeated cross-sectional studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data collection was performed between 2009-2013 using the International Prevalence Measurement of Care Problems questionnaire. Data from three purposively selected nursing homes that included 157 residents were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The comparison between baseline data and data collected 1 year later showed that the nutritional status declined in 22·8% of the residents and improved in 6·5% of the cases. The body mass index and changes in the body mass index were significantly different between residents with stable/improved and declined nutritional status. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that care dependency, length of stay, changes in body mass index and malnutrition risk at baseline were significantly associated with a decline in nutritional status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that the baseline risk of malnutrition is the most important risk factor indicating a decline in nutritional status. Therefore, healthcare professionals should identify the malnutrition risk and take action as early as possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3058-8728
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Research - Focusing on Value-based Care and Ageing School for Public Health and Primary Care (CAPHRI), Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ruud J G
authors.initials: RJG
authors.lastname: Halfens
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, Medical University of Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lohrmann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: associated factors; changes; decline; malnutrition; nursing; nursing home; nutritional status