The Relationship between Nutritional Status and Physical Function, Admission Frequency, Length of Hospital Stay, and Mortality in Old People Living in Long-Term Care Facilities

養護機構老人營養狀況與身體功能、住院次數、住院天數及死亡之相關性探討

林欣潔(Sin-Jie Lin) ； 黃信彰(Shinn-Jang Hwang) ； 劉介宇(Chieh-Yu Liu) ； 林惠如(Hung-Ru Lin)

《The Journal of Nursing Research》 20卷2期 (2012/06) Pp. 110-121

https://doi.org/10.1097/JNR.0b013e318254eac9

摘要

背景 養護機構中，老人營養狀況的問題普遍存在，在台灣，長期照護機構老人營養不良比率高達20%。目的 本研究之目的為調查養護機構中老人營養狀況、身體功能、住院次數、住院天數、死亡情形及其相關性。方法 採回溯性研究設計和方便取樣方式收案174位，年齡為67歲－105歲（平均年齡：82.5歲），居住於台北市北投區合法立案之老人養護機構的住民，由病歷中查詢研究所需之基本人口學資料、過去一年的健康檢查抽血報告、體位測量、身體功能、住院次數、住院天數及死亡原因進行資料收集。研究對象自收案日期回溯入住養護機構達一年以上，含回溯入住一年當中已死亡之個案。結果 結果顯示，過去一年中，養護機構老人在身體功能狀況及小腿圍的變化較明顯，且身體功能狀況與小腿圍具有顯著相關。過去一年的住院狀況與管灌飲食有相關，而進食方式與小腿圍、白蛋白值、膽固醇值具有顯著相關。推論營養狀況中，小腿圍、白蛋白值、膽固醇值與過去一年住院狀況有間接相關。本研究中，年紀越大與管灌飲食的個案，越有住院發生的可能性，且管灌飲食的個案住院天數也較長。此外，小腿圍與血色素營養狀況不良個案與死亡有相關性。結論／實務應用 透過研究結果，建議機構需要更加重視養護機構老人營養狀態，以減少住院及死亡之情形發生，進而能減少其他相關的醫療費用，提昇照護品質。

關鍵字

養護機構 ； 營養狀況 ； 住院次數 ； 住院天數 ； 死亡

並列摘要

Background: Nutrition is an important issue for elderly residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs). About 20% of elderly LTCF residents in Taiwan are malnourished. Purpose: This study investigated correlations between nutritional status and physical function, admission frequency, hospital stay duration, and mortality in elderly LTCF residents. Methods: Researchers used a retrospective study design and convenient sampling to enroll 174 subjects aged 67 to 105 years (average, 82.5 years) who were living in legally registered LTCFs in Beitou District, Taipei City, Taiwan. A review of LTCF resident files provided data on subjects’ demographics, physical examination laboratory results for the most recent 1-year period, anthropometry, physical function, admission frequency, hospital stay duration, and causes of admissions. Subjects had lived in their LTCF for more than 1 year before their enrollment date. Subjects who died during and after the study period were also included in analysis. Results: Results showed significant changes over the study year in subjects’ nutritional status, physical function, and calf circumference. Physical function was found significantly correlated with calf circumference, hospitalization status was found correlated with nasal-gastric tube feeding status, and eating pattern was found correlated with calf circumference and levels of both serum albumin and cholesterol. Nutritional status, calf circumference, albumin level, and cholesterol level also correlated significantly with hospitalization status. In this study, the likelihood of hospitalization increased with age and nasal-gastric tube feeding use. Hospital stay duration for subjects receiving nasal-gastric tube feeding was longer than that for those receiving oral feeding. Also, weak nutritional status scores for calf circumference and hemoglobin levels were factors associated with increased mortality risk.Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Findings recommend that greater attention should be paid to the nutritional status of elderly persons living in LTCFs to reduce hospitalization and death risks, cut medical expenses, and improve quality of care.

並列關鍵字

long-term care facility ； nutritional status ； admission frequency ； hospital stay duration ； mortality

參考文獻

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