The relationship between malnutrision and fall risk in geriatric diseases

In this study, we aimed to assess the level of malnutrition and the risk of falling due to malnutrition.The sample of the study consisted of 300 patientsaged 65 years or older who lived in a state hospital between April-July 2017.Necessary approvals were taken for the research. In this study, Personal Information Form prepared by the researchers, Itaki Fall Risk Assessment Scale, Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and Subjective Global Assessment (SGD) Test were used. The data was collected by face-to-face interview technique. Each interview took an average of 30 minutes. In evaluating the data; Number-percentage, chi-square test, t-test, anova variance analysis were used.MNA and SGD are the most preferred measurement tools for evaluating malnutrition. 52,3% of the elderly are aged 65-74, 36% are aged 75-84 and 11,7% are over 85 years old. 94,3% of the elderly have at least one chronic illness.According to MNA results; it was determined that 46,3% of elderly people were in risky group and 15% of elderly people were malnourished. The mean total MNA score was measured as 17.93 ± 4.89. The average of the Itaki Fall Risk Assessment Scale score was calculated as 26.30 ± 4.58. There is a significant relationship between the malnutrition status and the risk of falls (p <0.05). The mean risk of falls in the elderly with at least one chronic illness was found to be 26.25 ± 4.20. It was determined that the risk of falling was in the patients with CRF with a maximum of 27.57 ± 4.93 then the risk of falling in the patientswith CAD and HF was higher. Nurses should elaborate elderly patients well, take appropriate precautions, inform about the risk of falling to the elderly patient and caregiver, and plan their care accordingly. Key Words: Falls, Nursing, Malnutrition, Elderly.