Mini nutritional assessment short form as a predictor of mortality among older adults with dementia residing in group homes: A 5-year longitudinal study.

Background & Aims: Many people with dementia frequently experience various health-related problems and are known to have poor nutritional status. However, very few studies have examined the nutritional status of dementia residents in group homes, which play an important role in a society-wide system of support for people with dementia, or the relationship between nutritional status and long-term prognosis. This study was conducted to determine the nutritional status of group-home residents and to examine the relationship between nutritional status and the 5-year survival rate.

Methods: Participant characteristic (e.g., age, sex, body mass index, and medical history) and Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), Barthel index (BI), and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) data were collected from 79 older people (12 men/67 women; mean age: 88.3 ± 5.5 years) residing in 5 group homes as a baseline survey. Mortality data were obtained from medical records using an endline survey.

Results: The nutritional status of the participants using the MNA-SF was normal, at risk of malnutrition, and malnourished in 15.2 % (n = 12), 69.6 % (n = 55), and 15.2 % (n = 12) of participants, respectively. Following the survey, mortality data were collected for 5 years, and the 5-year survival rates were 64.3 % in those with normal nutritional status, 30.4 % in those at risk of malnutrition, and 9.1 % in the malnourished group, with a significant difference observed in the Kaplan-Meier analysis (p < 0.001). The hazard ratio for the MNA-SF scores and survival rates adjusted for sex, age, BI, and CDR were significant 0.80 [0.69-0.93, p = 0.003].

Conclusion: This study showed that 84.8 % of patients with dementia residing in group homes were malnourished or at risk of malnutrition and that low MNA-SF levels were an independent determinant of the 5-year survival rate.