Original Communication
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005) 59, 578–583. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602111 Published online 3 March 2005
Malnutrition and associated factors among aged residents in all nursing homes in Helsinki
Guarantor: KH Pitkala.
Contributors: MS, SM, PR, HS, IS-U, AP, HF-S and KP have all participated in planning and organizing the study and writing the article. KP analyzed the data.
M Suominen1, S Muurinen2, P Routasalo1,3, H Soini4, I Suur-Uski5, A Peiponen2, H Finne-Soveri6,7 and K H Pitkala1,7
- 1The Central Union for the Welfare of the Aged, Helsinki, Finland
- 2Social Services Department, Housing and Institutional Care Services for the Elderly, City of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- 3University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- 4Department of Health Care, City of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- 5Social Services Department, City of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- 6The National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Helsinki, Finland
- 7Clinic of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
Correspondence: KH Pitkala, The Central Union for the Welfare of the Aged, Malmin kauppatie 26, FIN-00700 Helsinki, Finland. E-mail: kaisu.pitkala@vanhustyonkeskusliitto.fi
Received 28 June 2004; Revised 29 October 2004; Accepted 19 November 2004; Published online 3 March 2005.
Abstract
Objective:
To acquire information about nutritional problems and factors associated with them in all nursing homes in Helsinki, Finland.
Design:
Descriptive, cross-sectional study. The residents were assessed by the Mini Nutritional Assessment test (MNA) and information was gathered about residents' backgrounds, functional status, diseases and about daily routines in institutions providing nutritional care.
Setting:
All nursing homes in Helsinki community, the capital of Finland.
Subjects:
Of 2424 eligible subjects, 2114 (87%) aged residents, mean age 82 y, were examined.
Results:
One-third (29%) of the studied residents suffered from malnutrition (MNA<17), and 60% were at risk (MNA 17–23.5). Malnutrition was associated with the female gender, a longer stay in the nursing home, functional impairment, dementia, stroke, constipation and difficulties in swallowing. In addition, eating less than half of the offered food portion, not eating snacks and resident's weight control at long intervals were associated with malnutrition. In logistic regression analysis mainly patient-related factors predicted malnutrition: impaired functioning (OR 3.71, 95% CI 2.76–4.99), swallowing difficulties (OR 3.03, 95% CI 2.10–4.37), dementia (OR 2.06, 95% CI 1.45–2.93), constipation (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.38–2.47), but also eating less than half of the offered food portion (OR 3.03, 95% CI 2.21–4.15).
Conclusions:
Although internal factors explain most about the poor nutritional status of aged residents in nursing homes, the factors related to nutritional care need further investigation to clarify their role in maintaining the nutritional status of aged residents.
Keywords:
malnutrition, nutritional status, Mini Nutritional Assessment test (MNA), nursing home, aged residents, nutritional care
