Impact of pureed and liquidised diets on health‐related quality of life scores in older patients during postacute rehabilitation: A pilot study

Abstract

BackgroundConsuming texture‐modified diets was considered to negatively affect health‐related quality of life (HR‐QoL). However, the precise relationship between the levels of food texture consumed and HR‐QoL remains uncertain. The present study aimed to determine the association between levels of food texture consumed and HR‐QoL.MethodsThis cross‐sectional study included 122 hospitalised patients aged ≥ 65 years (mean ± SD age 78.9 ± 7.9 years; 48.4% female) who required postacute rehabilitation. Consumed food texture levels were classified using the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) framework 2.0. HR‐QoL was evaluated using the five‐level EuroQoL five‐dimension (EQ‐5D‐5L). The association between food texture levels and HR‐QoL was analysed using a multivariate linear regression model.ResultsThe lower food texture levels consumed were associated with significantly lower EQ‐5D‐5L scores. Consumption of pureed (IDDSI Level 4) and liqudised (IDDSI Level 3) diets were associated with lower EQ‐5D‐5L scores among older patients undergoing postacute rehabilitation (regression coefficient –0.304; 95% confidence interval = −0.472 to −0.137 and regression coefficient, −0.444, 95% confidence interval = −0.676 to −0.213, respectivly).ConclusionsThe findings suggest a link between the consumption of pureed and liquidised diets and lower HR‐QoL scores in older hospitalised patients undergoing rehabilitation. To establish a clearer cause‐and‐effect relationship, future research should encompass multicentre and longitudinal studies, building upon the insights from the present study.

Editorial: Malnutrition in dysphagia: nutritional assessment and management in clinical practice

“…Multiple factors, including age, oral status, and disease burden (1), contribute to these conditions and, in particular, attention should be paid to the diet provided to individuals with dysphagia, including texture-modified foods and thickened liquids. A previous study have shown that the consumption of texture-modified diets is cross-sectionally associated with malnutrition, sarcopenia, and decreased quality of life in individuals with dysphagia (1,2). Because texture-modified diets require special cooking, it is believed that the nutrient density per unit weight is reduced such settings, compared to regular diets (1).…”