TY - JOUR
T1 - Need-based intervention is an effective strategy for improving the nutritional status of older people living in a nursing home
T2 - A randomized controlled trial
AU - Lee, Li Chin
AU - Tsai, Alan C.
AU - Wang, Jiun Yi
AU - Hurng, Baai Shyun
AU - Hsu, Hui Chuan
AU - Tsai, Hsin Jen
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding of the study was provided by Asia University (No. 10051020-grant 100-asia-20 ). The authors wish to express their deep appreciation to the participants of the study and the nursing home workers who helped carry out the study. ACT conceived the idea, directed the study and reviewed the manuscript; LCL carried out the intervention study, performed statistical analyses and prepared the draft; and JYW guided the statistical analysis and helped review the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. All authors also declare that there is no conflict of interest involved in the study. Conflict of interest : None. Funding : Funding of the study was provided by Asia University (No. 10051020-grant 100-asia-20). Ethical approval : Approved by the ethics review board of Asia University. Appendix A
PY - 2013/12/1
Y1 - 2013/12/1
N2 - Background: Nutrition is a key element in geriatric health. Protein-energy malnutrition is common in institutionalized persons. Objective: This study examined the effectiveness of a need-based "routine screening and timely intervention" strategy in improving the nutritional status of persons living in nursing homes. Design: A 24-week randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Setting: A privately managed geriatric nursing home in Taiwan. Participants: Ninety-two ≥65-year old persons who were ≤25kg/m2, >1 month residence, able to self-feed or receive oral feeding, without acute infection and non-bed-ridden. Methods: Prospective participants were stratified by gender and then randomly assigned to either the control group (n=45) or the intervention group (n=47). Each subject in the intervention group was given a 50g/day soy-protein-based nutritional supplement if he/she was rated as undernourished according to the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA, score ≤24) and BMI ≤24kg/m2. The supplement contained 9.5g protein, 250kcal energy and all essential micro-nutrients. The supplementation would be suspended once either one of the "at risk" condition was corrected. Nutritional rating with the MNA took place at baseline and every 4 weeks during the trial. Biochemical indicators were measured at baseline, mid-point (week-12) and end-point (week-24). Results were analyzed with the two-sample t-test, and the generalized estimating equations (GEE) controlled for demographic and health-related variables. Results: Of the 92 subjects, 82 completed the trial; 7 withdrew and 3 died during the trial. Results showed that the need-based intervention was an effective and appropriate strategy for improving the nutritional status of persons at risk of undernourishment. The intervention significantly improved body weight, BMI, mid-arm circumference, calf circumference, and serum albumin and cholesterol concentrations at all intervals (all p< 0.05). However, the intervention did not significantly improve hematocrit, hemoglobin or lymphocyte count status. Conclusions: Results suggest that the need-based nutritional intervention can be a practical and useful strategy for improving the nutritional status of persons living in nursing homes and save on healthcare cost. The potential application of this strategy deserves the attention of health planners.
AB - Background: Nutrition is a key element in geriatric health. Protein-energy malnutrition is common in institutionalized persons. Objective: This study examined the effectiveness of a need-based "routine screening and timely intervention" strategy in improving the nutritional status of persons living in nursing homes. Design: A 24-week randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Setting: A privately managed geriatric nursing home in Taiwan. Participants: Ninety-two ≥65-year old persons who were ≤25kg/m2, >1 month residence, able to self-feed or receive oral feeding, without acute infection and non-bed-ridden. Methods: Prospective participants were stratified by gender and then randomly assigned to either the control group (n=45) or the intervention group (n=47). Each subject in the intervention group was given a 50g/day soy-protein-based nutritional supplement if he/she was rated as undernourished according to the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA, score ≤24) and BMI ≤24kg/m2. The supplement contained 9.5g protein, 250kcal energy and all essential micro-nutrients. The supplementation would be suspended once either one of the "at risk" condition was corrected. Nutritional rating with the MNA took place at baseline and every 4 weeks during the trial. Biochemical indicators were measured at baseline, mid-point (week-12) and end-point (week-24). Results were analyzed with the two-sample t-test, and the generalized estimating equations (GEE) controlled for demographic and health-related variables. Results: Of the 92 subjects, 82 completed the trial; 7 withdrew and 3 died during the trial. Results showed that the need-based intervention was an effective and appropriate strategy for improving the nutritional status of persons at risk of undernourishment. The intervention significantly improved body weight, BMI, mid-arm circumference, calf circumference, and serum albumin and cholesterol concentrations at all intervals (all p< 0.05). However, the intervention did not significantly improve hematocrit, hemoglobin or lymphocyte count status. Conclusions: Results suggest that the need-based nutritional intervention can be a practical and useful strategy for improving the nutritional status of persons living in nursing homes and save on healthcare cost. The potential application of this strategy deserves the attention of health planners.
KW - Elderly
KW - Nursing home
KW - Nutritional intervention
KW - Nutritional screening
KW - Nutritional status
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2013.04.004
DO - 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2013.04.004
M3 - Article
C2 - 23648392
AN - SCOPUS:84886092202
SN - 0020-7489
VL - 50
SP - 1580
EP - 1588
JO - International Journal of Nursing Studies
JF - International Journal of Nursing Studies
IS - 12
ER -
