Screening for malnutrition in hospitalised older people: Comparison of the Mini Nutritional Assessment with its short‐form versions. (27th March 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dent, Elsa; Chapman, Ian; Piantadosi, Cynthia; Visvanathan, Renuka
• Is Part Of: Australasian journal on ageing. Volume 36:Number 2(2017)
• Page Start: E8
• Page End: E13
• Publication Date: 2017-03-27
• Subjects: aged -- inpatients -- nutritional status -- predictive value of tests -- screening; Older people -- Periodicals; Older people -- Australia -- Periodicals; Old age -- Periodicals; Geriatrics -- Periodicals; Gerontology -- Pacific Area -- Periodicals; 618.97
• DOI: 10.1111/ajag.12402
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1440-6381

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: To determine how well the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) Short Form (MNA‐SF) performed as a nutritional screening tool when calf circumference replaced body mass index (BMI) as the included anthropometric measurement. Methods: A total of 100 patients ≥70 years were recruited from a Geriatric Evaluation and Management Unit. Results: Mean age of patients was 85.2 (6.1) years. By the full MNA, 40% of patients were malnourished. The MNA correlated highly with both of its short‐form versions ( r = 0.87 and r = 0.90 for the BMI and calf circumference versions, respectively). Both MNA‐SF versions also showed high accuracy in identifying malnutrition (auROC values >0.89) . Conclusions: The MNA‐SF is a rapid and accurate way to screen for malnutrition in hospitalised older adults. Substitution of BMI measurement with the time‐efficient calf circumference measurement maintained MNA‐SF accuracy. It is recommended that calf circumference measurement be used for nutritional screening by MNA‐SF in a hospital setting.