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Nutritional status according to the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA®) and frailty in community dwelling older persons: A close relationship

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objective

This study investigates the association between MNA results and frailty status in community-dwelling older adults. In addition the relevance of singular MNA items and subscores in this regard was tested.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Community-dwelling older adults were recruited in the region of Nürnberg, Germany.

Participants

206 volunteers aged 75 years or older without cognitive impairment (Mini Mental State Examination >24 points), 66.0% female.

Measurements

Frailty was defined according to Fried et al. as presence of three, pre-frailty as presence of one or two of the following criteria: weight loss, exhaustion, low physical activity, low handgrip strength and slow walking speed. Malnutrition (<17 points) and the risk of malnutrition (17–23.5 points) were determined by MNA®.

Results

15.1% of the participants were at risk of malnutrition, no participant was malnourished. 15.5 % were frail, 39.8% pre-frail and 44.7% non-frail. 46.9% of the frail, 12.2% of the pre-frail and 2.2% of the non-frail participants were at risk of malnutrition (p<0.001). Hence, 90% of those at risk of malnutrition were either pre-frail or frail. For the anthropometric, dietary, subjective and functional, but not for the general MNA subscore, frail participants scored significantly lower than pre-frail (p<0.01), and non-frail participants (p<0.01). Twelve of the 18 MNA items were also significantly associated with frailty (p<0.05).

Conclusions

These results underline the close association between frailty syndrome and nutritional status in older persons. A profound understanding of the interdependency of these two geriatric concepts will represent the basis for successful treatment strategies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Biomedicine of Aging, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nürnberg, Germany

    Julia Bollwein, D. Volkert, R. Diekmann, M. J. Kaiser & C. C. Sieber

  2. Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometrics und Epidemiology, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Nürnberg, Germany

    W. Uter

  3. Nestlé Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland

    K. Vidal

  4. Geriatrics Centre Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany

    J. M. Bauer

  5. Institute for Biomedicine of Aging, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Heimerichstraße 58, 90419, Nürnberg, Germany

    Julia Bollwein

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  1. Julia Bollwein
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  2. D. Volkert
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  3. R. Diekmann
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  4. M. J. Kaiser
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  8. J. M. Bauer
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Correspondence to Julia Bollwein.

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Bollwein, J., Volkert, D., Diekmann, R. et al. Nutritional status according to the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA®) and frailty in community dwelling older persons: A close relationship. J Nutr Health Aging 17, 351–356 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-013-0034-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-013-0034-7

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