Assessment of the relationship between nutritional status and daily life activities and fall risk in individuals aged 65 and over

Objective: Physiological, psychological, and socioeconomic changes that occur during the aging process directly affect nutritional status, leading to a decline in physical functionality, a decrease in the level of independence, and an increased risk of falls. This study aimed to analyze the effects of nutritional habits on older adults' ability to perform daily living activities and their risk of falling, and to develop recommendations to improve their health and quality of life. Materials and Methods: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine (Decision No: 2025/200, dated 08.04.2025). The study included 254 older adults who applied to the Family Medicine Outpatient Clinic of Selçuk University Faculty of Medicine between 09.04.2025 and 29.09.2025. After obtaining informed consent, participants were evaluated using a sociodemographic questionnaire; Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) for nutritional status; Barthel Index and Lawton–Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale for functional independence; Rivermead Mobility Index for mobility; and the Falls Behavior Scale for the Elderly (FaB) for fall-related behaviors. All assessments were conducted through face-to-face interviews. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0, applying descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, chi-square test, ROC curve, and logistic regression analysis. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean age of participants was 70.9±5.7 years, and the mean BMI was 28.5±4.8 kg/m². Of the participants, 35.0% were overweight and 38.2% were obese. According to the MNA, 78.3% of individuals were well-nourished, 19.7% were at risk of malnutrition, and 2.0% were malnourished. The mean MNA score was 25.5±2.5, Barthel score 97.9±4.7, and FaB score 2.9±0.5. Age showed a negative correlation with Barthel, Lawton–Brody, and Rivermead scores, and a positive correlation with FaB (p<0.05). MNA was significantly correlated with Barthel (r=0.375; p<0.001), Lawton–Brody (r=0.381; p<0.001), Rivermead (r=0.168; p=0.007), and FaB (r=0.185; p=0.003). According to nutritional status, well-nourished individuals had significantly higher mean scores for Barthel (99.0±2.6), Rivermead (14.4±0.6), and FaB (2.9±0.4) than those at risk or malnourished (p<0.01). ROC analysis indicated that BMI, Barthel Index, Lawton–Brody Scale, Rivermead Mobility Index, and FaB Scale had statistically significant diagnostic performance in distinguishing nutritional status (p=0.014, p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.004, and p=0.009, respectively). Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that good nutritional status in older adults is a key determinant for maintaining daily living activities, enhancing mobility, and reducing fall risk. Therefore, regular evaluation of nutritional and functional status in older adults within primary care services is essential to support healthy aging and prevent fall-related complications. Keywords: Older adults, nutritional status, activities of daily living, mobility, fall risk.