Association between malnutrition and Barthel Index in a cohort of hospitalized older adults article information

[Purpose] In this study, we sought to evaluate the relationship between the Barthel Index and the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form in a cohort of elderly patients hospitalized in the General Rehabilitation Center. [Subjects and Methods] Three hundred and forty-four patients underwent an extensive evaluation, which included the following tests: 1) a Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form to evaluate nutritional status; and 2) a Barthel Index assessment to evaluate functional status. We categorized patients into three age groups (65-74 yrs, 75-84 yrs, and > 85 yrs). Barthel Index cutoff scores were defined as >= 45 out of 100 for better functional status and < 45 for worse functional status. [Results] Significant associations between age distribution and the scores obtained with the Barthel Index and Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form were found; nutritional status measured with Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form and functional status measured with the Barthel Index were positively related. [Conclusion] This study shows that the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short Form value was associated with the Barthel Index score, and that these scores varied with age.