Nutritional status is strongly correlated with grip strength and depression in community-living elderly Japanese

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the utility of the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) in assessing nutritional, physical and psychosocial functions in community-living elderly individuals. Design: A cross-sectional study of elderly individuals investigated in August 2007 and August-September 2008. Nutritional status was assessed using serum biomarkers, anthropometric measurements and the MNA. Physical function was assessed by measuring grip strength and both usual and maximum walking speeds. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) was used to measure the individual's depressive state. Setting: Elder-care facilities in Tokyo, Japan. Subjects: Community-living elderly individuals aged $65 years (n 130). Results: The MNA evaluation classified twenty-seven (20?8 %) individuals as being at risk for malnutrition (MNA score #23?5); these at-risk individuals included a high proportion of the elderly aged $75 years. MNA scores correlated with nutritional biomarkers (total protein, albumin, cholinesterase, Hb) and anthropometric measurements (triceps skinfold, subscapular skinfold, mid-arm muscle area) and exhibited a strong correlation with grip strength and GDS score. Multivariate analysis revealed that grip strength, GDS score, marital status and maximum walking speed are strong predictors of MNA score. Conclusions: The MNA is considerably useful in providing a comprehensive assessment of nutritional status in elderly, community-living Japanese. However, larger-scale epidemiological studies are needed to determine the utility and the appropriate cut-off point of the MNA as a screen for risk of malnutrition. Keywords Community-living elderly Mini-Nutritional Assessment Grip strength DepressionThe proportion of elderly people is increasing markedly around the world. In Japan today, 22?1 % of the total population is $65 years of age, and this statistic is estimated to exceed 33?7 % in 2035. Moreover, the population of very old people (aged $75 years) is expanding to 10?2 % (1) . This demographic shift will change healthcare problems, and continued good health of the elderly population will remain a major challenge in public health (2) . Malnutrition is a common health problem in the elderly, causing a decline in the quality of life. Particularly in community-living elderly, chronic malnutrition is a widespread, but often unrecognized, problem that goes untreated. The prevalence of risk of malnutrition (RM) in the elderly living at home is 24 (SD 0?4) % in a previous review (3) . Reports suggest that 30 % of Japanese community-living elderly individuals are at RM, and 50 % have multiple health problems requiring medical treatment (4) . Increasing health-care expenditures among the elderly is also becoming a serious global socio-economic problem. The assessment of malnutrition risk among the community-living elderly is important for early intervention and prevention, which may contribute to the improvement of the social economy. Nutritional status in the elderly is influenced by various factors, including physical and psychosoc...

Depression in the elderly with visual impairment and its association with quality of life

“…Yet depressive symptoms can have significant effects. Depressed elders left without proper treatment may experience serious consequences, including increased disability, malnutrition, institutionalization, and even mortality 10,66–71. In addition, depressed elders tend to underestimate their functional capacities,72,73 leading to activity restrictions.…”

Association of Fatigue With Sarcopenia and its Elements: A Secondary Analysis of SABE-Bogotá

“…Hsu et al (2014) found the same association in Taiwanese older adults. In addition, gait speed and handgrip strength which correlate to physical performance and muscle strength, respectively, have also been associated with depressive symptoms (Atkinson et al, 2007; Kaburagi et al, 2011). However, these studies have used scales that include somatic symptoms such as fatigue for screening of depression.…”

Relationship between depression and risk of malnutrition among community-dwelling young-old and old-old elderly people

“…Meanwhile, weight loss and loss of appetite are the main factors that mediate the relationship between depression and nutritional status (Rubenstein, Harker, Salva`, Guigoz, & Vellas, 2001). Recently, multiple studies have indicated an association between depression and nutritional status in various settings such as outpatient clinics and institutions and in the community (Cabrera, Mesas, Garcia, & de Andrade, 2007;Kaburagi et al, 2011;Smoliner et al, 2009;Wilson, Vaswani, Liu, Morley, & Miller, 1998). In these settings, depression is an independent predictor of nutritional health and a major cause of weight loss (Chen, Chang, Chyun, & McCorkle, 2005;Morley & Kraenzle, 1994;Thompson & Morris, 1991).…”

“…Email: yoshimura.kazuya.76w@st.kyoto-u.ac.jp relationship among the various variables associated with depression. For example, the young-old (age 65-74 years) and old-old (age 75 years and above) have different predispositions regarding various aspects of both depression and nutritional status (Kaburagi et al, 2011;Kondo, Kazama, Suzuki, & Yamagata, 2008). Older elderly are more likely to experience frailty, physical illness, bereavement and loneliness, which are risk factors contributing to depression (Blazer, 2002;Bruce, 2002).…”