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Table 2 Nutritional status of geriatric patients according to their clinical characteristics and outcome (n = 248)

From: Prevalence of malnutrition and associated factors among hospitalized elderly patients in King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Variable

Normal nutrition, n = 58

Malnourished, n = 118

at risk of malnutrition, n = 72

p-value

Anthropometric measures:

 BMI categories, n (%)

  Underweight

0 (0.0)

36 (30.5)

40 (55.6)

 

  Within normal

6 (10.5)

17 (14.4

5 (6.9)

< 0.001

  Overweight

26 (45.6)

30 (25.4)

9 (12.5)

 

  Obese

25 (43.9)

35 (29.7)

18 (25.0)

 

 Calf circumference, n (%)

   < 31 cm

7 (12.1)

47 (39.8)

41 (56.9)

< 0.001

   > 31 cm

51 (87.9)

71 (60.2)

31 (43.1)

 

Clinical characteristics

 Chronic illnesses, n (%)

52 (89.1)

96 (81.4)

62 (86.1)

0.651

 Diabetes Mellitus, n (%)

  Yes

42 (72.4)

60 (508)

41 (56.9)

0.107

  No

16 (27.6)

58 (49.2)

31 (43.1)

 

 Albumin, mean (SD)

34.5 (5.5)

29.6 (7.1)

25.9 (8.3)

< 0.001

 Hemoglobin, mean (SD)

12.1 (1.3)

11.0 (1.8)

9.7 (1.3)

< 0.001

 Lymphocytes mean (SD)

2.2 (0.85)

1.9 (0.88)

1.5 (0.94)

< 0.001

Food intake, n (%)

 Severe decrease in food intake

0 (0.0)

2 (1.7)

33 (45.8)

 

 Moderate decrease in food intake

7 (12.1)

64 (54.2)

23 (31.9)

< 0.001

 No decrease in food intake

51 (87.9)

52 (44.1)

16 (22.3)

 

Mobility and walking ability, n(%)

 Can walk without assistance

46 (79.3)

86 (72.9)

24 (33.3)

 

 Can walk but with assistance

7 (12.1)

14 (11.8)

8 (11.2)

 

 Moves with a wheelchair

5 (8.6)

8 (6.8)

7 (9.7)

< 0.001

 Bedbound

0 (0.0)

10 (8.5)

33 (45.8)

 

Readmission, n (%)

 No

45 (77.6)

90 (67.3)

14 (19.4)

 

 Once

11 (19.0)

28 (23.7)

22 (30.6)

< 0.001

 Twice or more

2 (3.4)

0 (0.0)

36 (50.0)

 

Length of stay, median (IQR)

4.5 (3-6)

5 (4-7)

12.5 (9-17)

< 0.001

  1. Data are presented as number & percentage (%) or as mean & standard deviation
  2. Significance between groups was determined using chi-square test for categorical variables and one-way ANOVA for continuous variables