Energy intake and nutritional status in older adults undergoing long-term rehabilitation for chronic diseases: A...

In this multicentre prospective observational study, we aimed to investigate changes in energy intake and nutritional indices, including cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, respiratory, and musculoskeletal conditions, among older adults hospitalised in general hospitals who required long-term rehabilitation.

This study included patients aged ≥65 years who were admitted to 41 National Hospital Organization hospitals between September 2019 and March 2020 with cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, respiratory, or musculoskeletal diseases. Physical measurements, blood test values, energy intake, and activities of daily living were evaluated at admission and discharge.

The analysis includ-ed 222 patients (125 men, 97 women; mean age, 78.9 years). On admission, 75.7% of patients were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition based on the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form score, with the highest prevalence (84.1%) observed in patients with respiratory disease. Although energy intake significantly increased during hospitalisation in all disease groups, only 31.1% of patients met the estimated energy requirements at discharge, and their body mass index and nutritional indices decreased. Logistic regression analysis showed that older age, female sex, higher energy intake at admission, and lower inflammation were associated with sufficient energy intake at discharge. Energy intake at admission was consistently associated with sufficient energy intake at discharge regardless of disease category, whereas other associated factors dif-fered by disease.

Nutritional management in general hospitals may be inadequate for older adults requiring long-term rehabilitation. These findings suggest the need for early individualised nutritional management in hospitalised older adults undergoing long-term rehabilitation.