Based on estimates from UK data, there are 140,000 malnourished citizens in Ireland at a healthcare cost of €1.5 billion, most of whom are aged >65 years old (Rice & Normand, 2012). Therefore, chronic malnutrition is highly prevalent in the Irish elderly population, but is likely preventable. Chronic malnutrition leads to the muscle wasting condition sarcopenia which precipitates poor balance and gait, increased falls and fractures. Sarcopenia refers to the age-related loss of muscle mass and strength, but has not previously been largely studied in an Irish context. Importantly, nutrition-related sarcopenia is a consequence of protein-energy malnutrition. This project will define prevalence of chronic malnutrition and sarcopenia in an Irish elderly population.
The aims of this study are to measure the prevalence of chronic malnutrition in a free-living population of older people (>65 years) in the Irish population. Also, this study aims to measure the prevalence of nutrition-related sarcopenia in the same population. The study is a cross-sectional dataset of persons >65 years free-living in Ireland. A cross-sectional analysis of n~100 free-living older adults in the greater Dublin area will be included in this study. Participants will undergo a testing battery consisting of the following; Malnutrition Universal Screening Toolincluding standard anthropometric measurements of body mass, height, mean upper arm circumference (MUAC) and mean calf circumference (MCC); Short physical performance battery (SPPB) including balance tests, repeated chair raises and habitual gait speed (Guralnik et al., 1994); Handgrip strength measured using a hand grip dynamometer; Physical activity status using questionnaire from the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors; Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) with prediction equation for estimating skeletal muscle mass (Janssen et al., 2004); Dietary assessments by Food Frequency Questionnaire. It is hypothesized that a significant proportion of older adults will display risk of sarcopenia.