Malnutrition Risk Among the 2022 National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants: A Cross-Sectional Study
Jaime J Gahche1, Lydia McGrath2, Shirley Chao3
1Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.
Background:
Inclusion of malnutrition risk screening information in the 2022 National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants (NSOAAP) provided a first-time opportunity to estimate malnutrition risk in a representative sample of Older Americans Act (OAA) program participants.
Objective:
Describe malnutrition risk prevalence and associated characteristics among 2022 NSOAAP participants, focusing particularly on those in home-delivered meal (HDM) and congregate meal (CM) programs.
Design:
Cross-sectional study of a nationally representative sample of 5 OAA service programs.
Participants/Setting:
OAA nutrition (HDM, n = 941; CM, n = 738) and non-nutrition (homemaker, n = 457; case management, n = 490; transportation, n = 905) program participants in the 2022 NSOAAP.
Main Outcome Measures:
Malnutrition risk evaluated with the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST). MST scores range 0 to 5, with ≥2 = malnutrition risk.
Statistical Analyses:
Malnutrition risk prevalence was estimated within each OAA program and by demographic and health characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed for HDM and CM participants to assess associations between malnutrition risk and duration of OAA nutrition program participation, food insecurity, and percentage of daily food intake from OAA meals, after adjusting for covariates.
Results:
Total malnutrition risk prevalence was 19.5%; by program type, it was 19.4% HDM, 16.7% CM, 22.5% homemaker, 22.1% case management, and 21.4% transportation, with no statistically significant differences between programs. Participants receiving HDMs for 2 to 5 years were 72% less likely to be at malnutrition risk compared with those receiving HDMs for ≤6 months (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.28; 95% confidence interval [Cl], 0.19-0.44; P < .05). No association between malnutrition risk and length receiving meals among CM participants was observed. Associations between risk and percentage daily food intake from OAA meals or food insecurity were not observed for HDM or CM participants.
Conclusion:
Approximately one-fifth of OAA program participants were at malnutrition risk in 2022 across all programs, and evidence suggested that risk may decline with continued HDM OAA nutrition program participation.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Aging
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...
01:28Anorexia Nervosa
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
01:19The Effect of Aging on Tissues
01:29Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
01:24Metabolic States of the Body: Fasting and Starvation
01:24Obesity