Related Experiment Videos
Meals-on-wheels applicants are a population at risk for poor nutritional status
A M Coulston1, L Craig, A C Voss
1General Clinical Research Center at Stanford University Medical Center, Calif 94305, USA.
Objective:
To identify older adults with poor nutritional status among the independent-living elderly applying for meals-on-wheels, and to compare how a self-assessment tool and more traditional criteria identify nutritional risk.
Design:
Descriptive study.
Subjects/Setting:
Meals-on-wheels applicants (n = 230 between 60 and 90 years of age (mean age = 77.4 +/- 7 years) who were free from terminal illness. Nutrition assessment data were collected in the home of each participant.
Main Outcome Measures:
Risk assessment for poor nutritional status was determined using anthropometric, dietary, and laboratory data and with a Nutrition Screening Initiative (NSI) self-assessment tool-the "DETERMINE Your Nutritional Health" checklist.
Statistical Analyses:
Differences were assessed using Student's t test for unpaired data.
Results:
Seventy-four percent of study participants were found to be at risk for poor nutritional status according to the study criteria, and 98% were at risk for poor nutritional status according to the NSI self-assessment tool.
Conclusions:
The majority of the applicants for meals-on-wheels were at risk for poor nutritional status. Thus, many independent-living older adults may need additional nutrition assessment and intervention to remain independent and in good nutritional status.