Comprehensive nutritional assessment of frail older adults and a tailored protein-enhanced diet as a way to improve the nutritional status

Abstract

Purpose

Frailty is a geriatric syndrome which can be reversible or less severe through appropriate nutritional interventions. In the present study, to test the efficiency of individualized nutritional intervention was conducted a comprehensive assessment of the nutritional status of frail older adults and evaluation of the effect of nutritional intervention on the nutritional status of pre-frail older patients.

Design/methodology/approach

Frail older adults (n = 43; mean age 84.6 ± 6.4 years old; 81.4% women) had nutritional status assessed using nutritional anthropometry, body composition, and food frequency questionnaire. Pre-frail patients (n = 16; mean age 68.4 ± 5.5 years old; 81.3% women) for eight weeks were consuming 1.0 g protein/kg BW/day. Robust older adults formed a control group (n = 29; mean age 69.3 ± 5.3 years old; 82.8% women).

Findings

Frail older adults had weight and muscle mass loss, and their diet variety was sufficient. After the intervention, pre-frail patients increased their protein consumption by 25.8% (P = 0.002). An increase in lean body mass (+1.0 kg), skeletal muscle mass (+0.3 kg) and improvement in physical performance was also observed.

Originality/value

An individual diet for pre-frail older adults can reverse weight loss and increase lean body mass, furthermore preventing or delaying the development of frailty syndrome. Moreover, increased protein consumption improves physical performance of pre-frail older adults.

Citation

Jaroch, A., Kozakiewicz, M., Kowalkowska, A., Główczewska-Siedlecka, E. and Kędziora-Kornatowska, K. (2021), "Comprehensive nutritional assessment of frail older adults and a tailored protein-enhanced diet as a way to improve the nutritional status", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 51 No. 7, pp. 1163-1173. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-02-2021-0047