Evaluation of nutritional status in hospitalized elderly and comparison of nutritional screening tools

Aging; is a complex and cumulative process with biological, chronological, psychological and social dimensions that begin in the embryonic period. Term of aging and elderly can be confusing sometimes. However, there are differences between these terms. They express different meanings. Elderly is a period, while aging is a process. Thanks to the health facilities that are developing in our country and in the world, the problems of the old age as well as the increase of the old population are getting more and more important. The elderly population, defined as a group of 65 years and over by the World Health Organization, shows an increase of approximately 5% annually in both developed and developing countries. As in every period of life, the importance of adequate and well- balanced nutrition in elderly age is great. In elderly age, nutritional status plays an important role in the risk of development and progression of diseases. Touchiness and disability increases with ageing. As a result of this, the nutritional status is negatively affected, food consumption decreases and malnutrition occurs. Malnutrition associated with the disease is an important health problem for developed and developing countries. In this study, it was aimed to determine the condition of malnutrition in the elderly in the hospital and to compare the effectiveness of the 3 methods used in determining malnutrition. In the study, MNA, NRS-2002 and MUST nutritional assesment tests were performed in a total of 207 individuals over 60 years of age, 80 males, 127 women, who were hospitalized at Ahi Evran Training and Research Hospital. According to MNA results, 57.5% have no nutritional problems, 33.3% at risk of malnutrition, and 9.2% in malnutrition. According to NRS-2002, 66.7% of individuals have no risk of malnutrition and there is a risk of malnutrition in 33.3%. And according to MUST, there is no risk of malnutrition of the 63.3% of individuals, and 25.6% were at the risk of malnutrition and 11.1% were malnutrition. Key words: Aging, anthropology, MNA, MUST, NRS-2002, nutrition