Frailty
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between nutrition and frailty in older community-living persons.
Detailed description
Nutrition is regarded as an important etiologic factor in the development of frailty in older adults. To date the relation between nutrition and frailty is only poorly described. Thus, it is the purpose of this study to investigate the association between different nutrition characteristics and frailty in older community-living persons. 206 volunteers aged 75 years or older were included in this cross-sectional study. Nutritional assessment included the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA), a food-frequency questionnaire and a standardised three-day dietary record. Intake of energy and nutrients was calculated using the German nutrient database BLS II.2. Dietary patterns were described by different dietary scores. Frailty was defined according to Fried et al. based on the following criteria: weight loss, exhaustion, grip strength, walking speed and physical activity. In addition several standardised tests were performed to characterise physical performance (Timed Up & Go, repeated chair stands, balance tests). The association between nutritional aspects and physical performance is evaluated in an explorative manner.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
Société des Produits Nestlé (SPN)
University of Erlangen-Nürnberg Medical School
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
75 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* age of 75 years and older * living independently at home
Exclusion criteria
* acute illness * cognitive impairment (Mini Mental State Examination ≥ 24 out of 30 points)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Frailty (according to Fried et al.) | 1 day | Frailty is defined as the presence of at least 3 of the following criteria: * self-reported weight loss of more than 4.5 kg in the last year * exhaustion (self-reported feeling that everything was an effort or one could not get going \> 2 times a week) * low grip strength (men ≤ 29-32 kg, women ≤ 17-21 kg depending on BMI), * low walking speed (\> 6-7 sec/ 4.57 m, depending on gender and height) * low physical activity (men \< 383 kcal/ week, women \< 270 kcal/ week) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Impaired physical performance (according to Guralnik et al.) | 1 day | Impaired physical performance is definded as less than 9 points in the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). Three physical performance tests (balance, walking speed and chair-rise) are performed in a standardised manner and rated with 0-4 points each. SPPB is the sum score of these three test resuslts with a maximum of 12 points indicating the best physical performance. |
Countries
Germany
Outcome results
None listed