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Abstract
Aim: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted to assess nutritional status in elderly home care patients using a combined index.
Methods: The combined index was calculated as a reference tool based on the results of five nutritional parameters (Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form [MNA-SF], Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire [SNAQ], body mass index, dietary energy, and dietary protein). If a patient was assessed as malnourished or undernourished in at least three of these five parameters, he/she was considered as “any stage of malnutrition” according to the combined index.
Results: The prevalence of malnutrition was 48.6%, 28.3%, and 47.4% according to the MNA-SF, SNAQ, and combined index, respectively. Dietary energy had the best sensitivity (92.7%) and negative predictive value (91.3%), while SNAQ had the highest specificity (100.0%) and positive predictive value (100.0%) according to the combined index. MNA-SF had the highest inter-rater agreement (kappa [κ]) with the combined index (κ =0.792).
Conclusions: The use of combined index based on both screening tools and other nutritional parameters could be effective in the diagnosis of malnutrition in elderly home care patients.
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Article Type: Research Article
EUR J ENV PUBLIC HLT, Volume 8, Issue 4, 2024, Article No: em0164
https://doi.org/10.29333/ejeph/15584
Publication date: 06 Nov 2024
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