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Nutrition Risk Is Associated with 3-Year Strength and Performance Indicators among Older Adults in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

  • Original Research
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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

Determine if nutrition risk, as measured by SCREEN-8 is predictive of 3-year strength and performance indicators among community-living older adults after adjusting for key demographic and health variables. Sex-stratified analyses were also determined.

Design

Cohort study with baseline and 3-year follow-up data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).

Participants

Participants 55 years and older at baseline were included (n = 22,502); those who reported nasogastric or abdominal tube feeding at either timepoint were excluded (n = 26). The final sample of participants available for analyses slightly varied depending on completion of the three outcome variables. List-wise deletion was used for nutrition risk and covariates to arrive at the sample available for analysis (n = 17,250).

Measurements

The valid and reliable SCREEN-8 tool was used to measure nutrition risk. The minimum and maximum score of SCREEN-8 is 0 and 48, respectively, with lower scores indicating greater nutrition risk. Baseline SCREEN-8 score was used in analyses. Grip strength, chair rise test time and gait speed assessed at the 3-year follow-up were the strength and performance outcomes. Criteria outlined by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 were used to determine low performance for grip strength (<27 kg for males and <16 kg for females), chair rise test time (>15 seconds) and gait speed (≤0.8 m/s).

Results

Half of participants were female (49.4%) and mean age was 66.7 years (SD 7.9). Mean SCREEN-8 score was 39.2 (SD 6.0). Low grip strength, chair rise test performance and gait speed were found in 18.5%, 19.6% and 29.3% of participants, respectively. After adjusting for covariates (e.g., sex, age, education), SCREEN-8 score was significantly associated with grip strength (F = 11.21, p = .001; OR = 0.98, CI [0.97, 0.99]), chair rise time (F = 5.97, p = .015; OR = 0.99, CI [0.97, 0.997]), and gait speed (F = 9.99, p = .002; OR = 0.98, CI [0.97, 0.99]). Similar interpretation was seen in sex-stratified analyses, although chair rise time was not significant. Age, body mass index, Life Space Index Score and self-rated health were consistently associated with all outcome measures.

Conclusion

Nutrition risk, as measured by SCREEN-8, significantly predicted 3-year strength and performance measures. Greater nutrition risk is associated with an increased odds of low performance on grip strength, chair rise test, and gait speed. Future research should implement nutrition risk screening in primary care settings with subsequent assessment and treatment for at risk clients to determine if nutrition interventions implemented post screening can delay age-related losses in strength and performance.

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Data Availability Statement: Data are available from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (https://www.clsa-elcv.ca) for researchers who meet the criteria for access to de-identified CLSA data.

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Acknowledgements

This research was made possible using the data/biospecimens collected by the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Funding for the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) is provided by the Government of Canada through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) under grant reference: LSA 94473 and the Canada Foundation for Innovation, as well as the following provinces, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia. This research has been conducted using the CLSA dataset Baseline Comprehensive v7.0 and Follow-up 1 Comprehensive v3.2 under Application ID #2006009. The CLSA is led by Drs. Parminder Raina, Christina Wolfson and Susan Kirkland.

Funding

Funding Statement This secondary analysis was supported by the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA, Team 5). CCNA is supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research with funding from several partners.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3G1

    Vanessa Trinca & H. Keller

  2. Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, 250 Laurelwood Dr., Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2J 0E2

    H. Keller

Authors
  1. Vanessa Trinca
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  2. H. Keller
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Contributions

Author Contributions: HK conceptualized the study. VT performed data analyses. The first draft of the manuscript was written by VT and HK. VT and HK read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vanessa Trinca.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest: HK is the originator of the SCREEN-8 instrument used in the CLSA to determine nutrition risk.

Ethical standards: This present study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance from a University of Waterloo Research Ethics Board (ORE#42598).

Additional information

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this manuscript are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

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Trinca, V., Keller, H. Nutrition Risk Is Associated with 3-Year Strength and Performance Indicators among Older Adults in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. J Nutr Health Aging 27, 868–877 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-023-1980-3

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