Türk geriatrik bireylerinde beslenme durumu ile fonksiyonel kapasite, kırılganlık ve depresyon arasındaki ilişki: kesitsel bir çalışma

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, yaşlı bireylerde beslenme durumu ile fonksiyonel kapasite, kırılganlık ve depresyon arasındaki ilişkileri incelemek ve bu değişkenlerin beden kitle indeksi ile olan etkileşimini değerlendirmektir.
Gereç ve yöntem: 01 Ocak 2024 ile 31 Ocak 2025 tarihleri arasında başvuran hastaların kayıtları incelenerek yürütülen retrospektif kesitsel olarak yapılan bu çalışmaya, yaş ortalaması 74,2±6,5 yıl olan ve %61,1’i kadın olan 417 yaşlı birey dahil edilmiştir. Beslenme durumu Mini Nütrisyonel Değerlendirme ile, fonksiyonel kapasite KATZ ve Lawton-Brody indeksleriyle, kırılganlık durumu Klinik Kırılganlık Skoru ile ve depresyon durumu Geriatrik Depresyon Ölçeği ile değerlendirilmiştir. Fiziksel performans kalk-yürü ve otur-kalk testleriyle ölçülmüştür. İstatistiksel analizlerde Spearman korelasyon katsayısı ve Kruskal-Wallis testi kullanılmıştır.
Bulgular: Mini Nütrisyonel Değerlendirme skorları, hem temel (Katz, ρ=0,35; p<0,001) hem de enstrümantal (Lawton-Brody, ρ=0,32; p<0,001) günlük yaşam aktiviteleri ile pozitif korelasyon göstermiştir. Mini Nütrisyonel Değerlendirme ile Klinik Kırılganlık Skalası arasında anlamlı negatif bir korelasyon gözlenmiştir (ρ=-0,30; p<0,001). Mini Nütrisyonel Değerlendirme ayrıca fiziksel performans testleri ile zayıf fakat anlamlı pozitif korelasyonlar göstermiştir. Vücut Kitle İndeksi ile Mini Nütrisyonel Değerlendirme arasında pozitif bir korelasyon bulunmuştur (ρ=0,38; p<0,001); daha düşük Vücut Kitle İndeksi ise artmış kırılganlık (ρ=-0,21; p<0,001) ve temel günlük aktivitelerde azalma (Katz, ρ=0,16; p=0,001) ile ilişkilendirilmiştir. Ayrıca, Mini Nutritional Assessment puanları ile Geriatrik Depresyon Ölçeği arasındaki korelasyon zayıf olup istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulunmamıştır (ρ=-0,04, p=0,210).
Sonuç: Bu çalışma, yeterli beslenmenin yaşlı yetişkinlerde fonksiyonel bağımsızlığın korunmasında, kırılganlığın azaltılmasında ve fiziksel performansın desteklenmesinde kritik bir rol oynadığını vurgulamaktadır. Bununla birlikte, beslenme durumu ile depresif belirtiler arasındaki ilişki zayıf bulunmuş ve istatistiksel olarak anlamlılık göstermemiştir. Beslenme durumu, geriatrik değerlendirmelerin temel bir bileşeni olmalı ve multidisipliner müdahalelerle ele alınmalıdır.

Keywords

• Beslenme durumu
• mini nütrisyonel değerlendirme
• geriatrik değerlendirme
• vücut kitle indeksi

The relationship between nutritional status and functional capacity, frailty, and depression in Turkish geriatric individuals: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the associations between nutritional status, functional capacity, frailty, and depression in older adults, and to evaluate how these parameters relate to body mass index.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted by reviewing the records of patients who applied between January 01, 2024, and January 31, 2025, and included 417 older adults (mean age: 74.2±6.5 years; 61.1% female). Nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment, functional capacity with the Katz Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living and Lawton-Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, frailty with the Clinical Frailty Scale. Physical performance was evaluated using the Timed Up and Go and Sit-to-Stand tests. Spearman's correlation coefficients and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for statistical analysis.
Results: Mini Nutritional Assessment scores were positively correlated with both basic (Katz, ρ=0.35; p<0.001) and instrumental (Lawton-Brody, ρ=0.32; p<0.001) activities of daily living. A significant negative correlation was observed between Mini Nutritional Assessment and Clinical Frailty Scale (ρ=-0.30; p<0.001). Mini Nutritional Assessment also showed weak but significant positive correlations with physical performance tests. A positive correlation was found between Body Mass İndex and Mini Nutritional Assessment (ρ=0.38; p<0.001); lower Body Mass İndex was associated with increased frailty (ρ=-0.21; p<0.001) and decreased performance in basic daily activities (Katz, ρ=0.16; p=0.001). However, the correlation between Mini Nutritional Assessment scores and Geriatric Depression Scale was weak and not statistically significant (ρ=-0.04, p=0.210).
Conclusion: This study highlights the critical role of adequate nutrition in maintaining functional independence, reducing frailty, and supporting physical performance in older adults. Moreover, the relationship between nutritional status and depressive symptoms was found to be weak and did not reach statistical significance. Nutritional status should be a core component of geriatric assessments and addressed through multidisciplinary interventions.

Keywords

• Nutritional status
• mini nutritional assessment
• geriatric assessment
• body mass index.

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