The Risk and The Prevalence of Malnutrition in Elderly Home-care Patients

Abstract

Objective: The elderly are more susceptible to undernourishment, and those receiving home-care services have a higher prevalence of malnutrition. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of the community-dwelling elderly with malnutrition and those at risk of malnutrition enrolled in the home healthcare system. Method: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted using the Mini-Nutritional Assessment short-form among community-dwelling elderly home-care patients living in Adana, Turkey. Individuals the age of 65 and over and receiving home-care services were included. Patients were interviewed once at his or her residence individually, and on-site MNA questionnaires were completed. Results: Among the 321 patients included in the analysis, 126 were malnourished (39.25%), and 132 were at risk of malnutrition (41.12%). The mean MNA-SF was 8.28±3.36. There was a strong association between malnutrition and literacy, with a third of the study group found to be illiterate (n=108, 33.64%, p=0.001). Conclusion: The study showed that the majority of the patients were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. Implementation of nutritional screening and interventions focusing on malnutrition might be required in home-care services.

Keywords

• Malnutrition
• nutrition screening
• Elderly
• home-care

Yaşlı Evde Sağlık Hastalarında Malnütrisyon Prevalansı ve Malnütrisyon Riski

Abstract

Amaç: Yaşlılar yetersiz beslenmeye daha duyarlıdır ve evde bakım hizmeti alanların malnütrisyon prevalansı daha yüksektir. Çalışma, evde sağlık sistemine kayıtlı, toplumda yaşayan yetersiz beslenen yaşlılar ve yetersiz beslenme riski taşıyanların prevalans istatistiklerini belirlemeyi amaçlamıştır. Yöntem: Adana ili Numune Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Evde Sağlık Birimine kayıtlı evde bakım birimine kayıtlı yaşlı hastalarla yürütülen kesitsel tanımlayıcı çalışmada, Araştırmacılar tarafından düzenlenen anket formu ev ziyareti sırasında yüz yüze görüşme tekniğiyle uygulandı. Anketin ilk kısmında sosyodemografik değişkenler, 2. Kısmında MNA-SF yer almaktaydı. . Bulgular: Analize dahil edilen 321 hastadan 126'sı yetersiz beslenmekteydi (% 39.25) ve 132'si malnütrisyon riski taşıyordu (% 41.12). Ortalama MNA-SF 8.28 ± 3.36 idi. Hastaların üçte birinin okuma yazma bilmediği tespit edilen çalışmada (n = 108,% 33.64, p = 0.001) yetersiz beslenme ve okuryazarlık arasında güçlü bir ilişki tespit edildi. Sonuç: Çalışma, hastaların çoğunun malnütre veya malnütrisyon riski altında olduğunu gösterdi. Evde bakım hizmetlerinin yürütülmesinde beslenme taramalarına ve yetersiz beslenmeye yönelik müdahalelere daha fazla yer verilmesi gerektiği görülmektedir.

Keywords

• Malnutrisyon
• yaşlı
• evde bakım hizmetleri
• beslenme anketleri

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