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Association between nutritional status (MNA®-SF) and frailty (SHARE-FI) in acute hospitalised elderly patients

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to explore the association between the impaired nutritional status and frailty in acute hospitalised elderly patients by using two tools, the MNA®-SF (Mini Nutritional Assessment® short-form) and the SHARE-FI (Frailty Instrument for Primary Care of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe).

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Acute hospitalised, community-dwelling elderly patients were recruited at internal medicine wards in Vienna, Austria.

Participants

133 men (39%) and women (61%) aged 74 (65–97) years.

Measurements

MNA®-SF was used to investigate malnutrition (<7 points) and patients at risk of malnutrition (8 to 11 points). By using the SHARE-FI, subjects were classified as frail, pre-frail or robust. A factor analysis was applied to identify overlaps between the MNA®-SF and SHARE-FI items. Internal consistency of different dimensions was assessed by using Cronbach’s Alpha.

Results

Malnutrition or risk of malnutrition was found in 76.7% of the total sample and in 46.8% of robust, in 69.0% of pre-frail, and in 93.0% of frail participants. Frailty or prefrailty was found in 75.9% of the total sample and in 45.1% of the subjects with no risk of malnutrition, in 80.9% of subjects at risk of malnutrition, and in 94.1% of malnourished patients. The two used tools show overlaps in three dimensions: (1) nutrition problems, (2) mobility problems and (3) anthropometric items with a moderate to strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.670, 0.834 and 0.946, respectively). 64.7% of the total sample (79.5% of frail and 87.9% of malnourished subjects) would participate in a home-based muscle training and nutritional intervention program.

Conclusions

This study underlines the association and the overlap between frailty and impaired nutritional status. There is a high readiness to participate in a program to tackle the problems associated with malnutrition and frailty, especially in those, who would benefit most from it.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Social Medicine, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    T. E. Dorner, Eva Luger, J. Tschinderle, K. V. Stein, S. Haider & A. Kapan

  2. Department of Medicine 3, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    K. E. Schindler

  3. Department for Preventive Medicine, Sportunion Austria, Vienna, Austria

    C. Lackinger

  4. Institute of Social Medicine, Centre for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15/I, 1090, Wien, Austria

    Eva Luger

Authors
  1. T. E. Dorner
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  2. Eva Luger
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  3. J. Tschinderle
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  4. K. V. Stein
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Correspondence to Eva Luger.

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Dorner, T.E., Luger, E., Tschinderle, J. et al. Association between nutritional status (MNA®-SF) and frailty (SHARE-FI) in acute hospitalised elderly patients. J Nutr Health Aging 18, 264–269 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-013-0406-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-013-0406-z

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