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. 2014 Mar;18(3):270-6.
doi: 10.1007/s12603-013-0388-x.

Nutritional risk, nutritional status and incident disability in older adults. The FRADEA study

M Martínez-Reig  1 , L Gómez-Arnedo, S A Alfonso-Silguero, G Juncos-Martínez, L Romero, P Abizanda
Affiliations

Nutritional risk, nutritional status and incident disability in older adults. The FRADEA study

M Martínez-Reig et al. J Nutr Health Aging. 2014 Mar.

Abstract

Objectives: To analyze if body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) as measures of nutritional status, and the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF) as a nutritional risk measure are associated with increased risk of incident disability in basic activities of daily living (BADL) in a population based cohort of Spanish older adults.

Design: Concurrent cohort study.

Setting: Albacete City, Spain.

Participants: 678 subjects over age 70 from the FRADEA Study (Frailty and Dependence in Albacete).

Measurements: BMI, WC and MNA-SF were recorded at the basal visit of the FRADEA Study. Incident disability in BADL was defined as loss of the ability to perform bathing, grooming, dressing, toilet use, or feeding from basal to follow-up visit, using the Barthel index. The association between nutritional status and nutritional risk with incident BADL disability was determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis and logistic regression adjusted for age, sex, basal function, comorbidity, cognitive decline, depression risk and frailty status.

Results: Each point less of MNA-SF (OR 1.17, 95%CI 1.04-1.31) and MNA-SF<14 (OR 2.33, 95%CI 1.39-3.89), but not MNA-SF<12 (OR 1.47, 95%CI 0.89-2.42) had a greater adjusted risk of incident disability in BADL. Neither BMI (OR 1.02, 95%CI 0.97-1.06) nor WC (OR 1.01, 95%CI 0.99-1.03) were associated. Weight loss (OR 1.75, 95%CI 1.08-2.83) and mobility impairment (OR 3.35, 95%CI 1.67-6.73) remained as adjusted predictors of incident BADL disability, while anorexia almost reached the significance (OR 1.65, 95%CI 0.94-2.87).

Conclusion: Nutritional risk measured with the MNA-SF is associated with incident disability in BADL in older adults, while nutritional status measured with BMI or WC is not.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Probability of not losing BADL using Kaplan-Meier analysis for participants with an MNA-SF = 14 (solid line) and an MNA-SF < 14 (spotted line)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Association between MNA-SF items and incident BADL disability
Figure 3
Figure 3
ROC curves of different MNA-SF constructs and incident disability in basic activities of daily living
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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