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Dysphagia assessed by the 10-item eating assessment tool is associated with nutritional status and activities of daily living in elderly individuals requiring long-term care

The journal of nutrition, health & aging volume 20, pages 22–27 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives

The 10-item Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) is a self-administered questionnaire for dysphagia screening, with each item scored from 0 to 4. We assessed the associations among the EAT- 10 score, nutritional status and activities of daily living (ADL) in elderly individuals requiring long-term care.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Geriatric health services facilities, acute hospitals, and the community.

Participants

Elderly individuals ≥65 years of age with dysphagia or possible dysphagia (N=237).

Measurements

The EAT-10, the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF) and the Barthel Index.

Results

There were 90 males and 147 females. Mean age was 82 ± 8 years. Eighty-nine were in geriatric health services facilities, 28 were in acute hospitals, and 120 were community-dwelling. The median Barthel Index score was 55 (interquartile range: 25, 80). The median EAT-10 score was 1 (interquartile range: 0, 9), and 101 respondents a score > 3, indicating the presence of dysphagia. The MNA-SF revealed that 81 were malnourished, 117 were at risk of malnutrition, and 39 had a normal nutritional status. The Barthel Index score and MNA-SF score were significantly lower in those with an EAT-10 score between 3 and 40, compared to those with an EAT-10 score between 0 and 2. The EAT-10 has an independent effect on the Barthel Index and the MNA-SF by adjusting for covariates such as age, gender, and setting in multiple regression analysis.

Conclusions

Dysphagia assessed by the EAT-10 is associated with nutritional status and ADL in elderly individuals requiring long-term care.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama City, Japan

    Hidetaka Wakabayashi

  2. Division of Clinical Epidemiology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Yokohama City, Japan

    Hidetaka Wakabayashi & M. Matsushima

Authors
  1. Hidetaka Wakabayashi
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  2. M. Matsushima
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Correspondence to Hidetaka Wakabayashi.

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Wakabayashi, H., Matsushima, M. Dysphagia assessed by the 10-item eating assessment tool is associated with nutritional status and activities of daily living in elderly individuals requiring long-term care. J Nutr Health Aging 20, 22–27 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-016-0671-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-016-0671-8

Keywords

  • Deglutition disorders
  • malnutrition
  • sarcopenia
  • frailty
  • sarcopenic dysphagia