Evaluation of the incidence of malnutrition and sarcopenia according to anthropometric measures and functional competencies in elderly people living in rest home and home environment

Objective: In this study, the incidence of malnutrition and sarcopenia according to anthropometric measurements and functional abilities in the elderly living in rest home and home environment was evaluated. Materials and Methods: The survey sample consisted of 156 elders from Family Health Centers and 78 from rest homes in Turgutlu and Akhisar. The data of the study were collected by the descriptive characteristics form, the Mini Nutritional Assessment test and the Barthel Index. Moreover, the researcher measured the hand muscle strength, skin fold thickness, weight, height, circumference of upper middle arm, calf, waist of elderly individuals. Number, percentage, mean, standard deviation and chi-square were used in the evaluation of the data. Findings: The participants mean age was 74,82 ± 7,62 (65-97) and the majority were male (73,1%). Malnutrition and the risk of malnutrition were 3,2%, 53,2% in home environment; 2,6%, 43,6% in rest homes. Sarcopenia was detected in 71,8% of the elderly living in rest home and 63,5% of the elderly living in home environment. There was a statistically significant difference between malnutrition and sarcopenia status and functional ability of elderly living in home environment and between malnutrition status and body mass indexes of elderly and arm circumference of male residents living in rest home (p<0,05), but no significant difference was found between other variables (p>0,05). Results: Consequently, malnutrition and sarcopenia rate was quite high in both groups. The elderly should be evaluated regularly by screening tests for early diagnosis of malnutrition and sarcopenia. Key words: Elderly, malnutrition, sarcopenia, functional competence