Nutritional status in chronically-ill elderly patients. Is it related to quality of life?

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to assess the quality of life in chronically-ill elderly patients and its relationship with parameters concerning the patients' nutritional status.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Primary health-care centres in Jaen, Spain.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 168 chronically-ill elderly outpatients aged from 65 to 89 years.

MEASUREMENTS

Quality of life was measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. A nutritional assessment was undertaken including socio-demographic variables, anthropometric measurements (body-mass index and calf circumference), functional evaluation (Barthel index and Folstein mini-mental status test) and a dietetic questionnaire. The mini-nutritional assessment test was used as an assessment tool to detect nutritional risk.

RESULTS

Quality of life in chronically-ill elderly subjects, as determined by the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, which diminishes with age, is independent of anthropometric parameters and a statistically significant difference was found between gender, socio-demographic characteristics, functional capacity, nutritional status and the kind of chronic disease (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The relationship between the quality of life with the patients' socio-demographic characteristics, functional capacity and nutritional status underlines the importance of taking these factors into account in the management of chronically ill patients, especially women.