Older hospitalised patients at risk of malnutrition:: correlation with quality of life, aid from the social welfare system and length of stay?

Background: malnutrition is regarded as a major risk factor for complications and delayed recovery in hospitalised elderly patients. Objective: to examine the prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalised elderly patients and evaluate simple clinical screening criteria. To investigate whether malnutrition was related to lack of care from the health care or social welfare system, quality of life and hospital length of stay (LOS). Setting: non-acute geriatric hospital. Subjects: 294 elderly patients admitted for rehabilitation after acute hospital care; 244 patients were available for assessment. Methods: questionnaire interview about nutrition, social network and quality of life. Anthropometric and biochemical measurements, assessment of physical and cognitive function, recording of LOS, discharge destination and diagnosis. Results: 126 patients (51.6%) were at risk of malnutrition using the criteria of body mass index <22 kg/m(2) and/or weight loss >= 5%/6 months. Poor quality of life in women (P< 0.04) and loss of the health of a spouse (P< 0.02) correlated with weight loss. No differences were found in patients at risk regarding LOS, discharge destination, or aid from the social welfare system. Conclusions: this study confirms a high prevalence of malnutrition risk in hospitalised elderly patients. The health care and social welfare system appeared to be unaware of the problem. Poor quality of fife in females and loss of the health of a spouse were related to malnutrition risk. The screening variables that were used appeared not to predict hospital length of stay or discharge destination.