Factors associated with (risk of) undernutrition in community-dwelling older adults receiving home care: a cross-sectional study in the Netherlands

OBJECTIVE: It is generally thought that causes of undernutrition are multifactorial, but there are limited quantitative studies performed. We therefore examined a wide range of potential factors associated with undernutrition in community-dwelling older adults. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Community-dwelling older adults (≥65 years) receiving home care in the Netherlands. SUBJECTS: Data on potential factors associated with (risk of) undernutrition were collected among 300 older adults. Nutritional status was assessed by the SNAQ65+ instrument. Undernutrition was defined as mid-upper arm circumference <25 cm or unintentional weight loss of ≥4 kg in 6 months. Being at risk of undernutrition was defined as having poor appetite and inability to walk up and down stairs of fifteen steps, without resting. RESULTS: Of all participants, ninety-two (31·7 %) were undernourished and twenty-four (8·0 %) were at risk of undernutrition. Based on multivariate logistic regression analyses, the statistically significant factors associated with (risk of) undernutrition (P