Nutritional status for ambulatory dementia patients and its main correlation with caregivers psychosocial variables: The Nutrialz Study

Salvà A(1) , Fernández E(2), Andrieux S(3), Schiffrin E(4), Vellas B(3), y el grupo Nutrialz. 1. Institut de l'Envelliment. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. 2. Service de Gerontologie Clinique. Hôpital Pourpan. Caselardit. Toulouse. France. 3. Nestle Nutrition. Vevey. Switzerland

"Nutriactiv" is a socio-educative and nutritional intervention program to prevent weight loss and loss of function in dementia patients. To validate this program a prospective, cluster randomised, study was carried (Nutrialz study) in 946 people with dementia living at home.

Objective: The general purpose of this communication is to present the data at baseline focusing on the correlation between the nutritional and the psychosocial parameters.

Methodology 11 Hospitals had been involved in the study. Patients were recruited from ambulatory diagnostic unit and day hospital care. Total of 946 patients were included. The baseline interview include: sociodemographic and socioeconomic variables (age, gender, educational level, marital status); diagnostic, treatments, MMS, a list of comorbid conditions; activities of daily living (ADL, IADL), Zarit Scale, breef-NPI, and nutritional status as measured by the Mini Nutritional Assessment. All participants or their family signed the inform consent form.

Results Mean age was 78,99 (SD 7,27) , 68,1 % were women; 44,9% lives with their partner; 74,2% has a dementia type Alzheimer, and it has been 5,25 years since symptoms of dementia and 2,78 years since the diagnostic; mean MMSE score was 15,41 (SD 6,18); mean weight was 64,31 (SD12,52) kg; mean BMI was 26,96 (SD4,53) (<19: 2,8; 19-21:5,4; 21-23: 9,9: >=23:81.9). Mean ADL without difficulties was 3,24/6(SD 2,09).; mean IADL without difficulties was 0,71/8 (SD 1,56); mean number of symptoms in the NPI was 4,43 (2,59) severity score 7,87 (SD 5,94) and distress score 11,33 (9,01); mean Zarit scale was 27,41 (SD15,50); mean MNA was 23, 19 (SD 3,49). >17: 5,2 %, 17-23: 31,6 %, >=23: 63,2 %.

Conclusions An important percentage of patients with Dementia are at risk of malnutrition. Many factors could contribute to that and between those psychosocial variables as caregiver burden or compartmental troubles are relevant.