THE
ABILITY OF THE DETERMINE YOUR NUTRITIONAL HEALTH CHECKLIST TO
IDENTIFY AT-RISK NUTRITIONAL STATUS IN WHITE, RURAL, INDEPENDENTLY-DWELLING
ELDERLY WOMEN
Ardith
R. Brunt, PhD, RD, LD, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville,
TN 38505; Elisabeth Schafer, PhD, Mary Jane Oakland, PhD, RD, LD, Iowa
State University, Ames, IA 50011
The
purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of the DETERMINE checklist
to identify elderly women with either at-risk anthropometric measures
(10th percentile) or at-risk dietary intake (<75% of recommended
levels for eight nutrients). Using a stratified random sample, we conducted
an in-home interview with 249 rural, community-dwelling women, aged
65 or older. Dietary intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative food
frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric variables were measured using
standard methods.
Using
the DETERMINE checklist, 51% of the women were identified at low risk,
42% at moderate risk, and 7% at high nutritional risk. About 10% of
the women had at-risk anthropometric measures. Overall, only four of
the ten DETERMINE checklist statements predicted either at-risk anthropometric
measures or at-risk dietary intake. The DETERMINE checklist statements
that best predicted at-risk anthropometric measures changed as the ages
of the women increased. Overall score and a score of moderate or high
nutritional risk identified those with at-risk arm measures, but not
at-risk BMI.
Impact:
Despite the overwhelming acceptance and use of the DETERMINE checklist
to screen for nutritional risk, it may not be the most effective tool
to identify nutritional risk. Risk factors that directly impact the
nutritional status of older adults change as individuals age. Therefore,
the cumulative effect of specific risks may not be an appropriate method
of assessing at-risk nutritional status.
Contact
person:
Ardith Brunt PhD, RD, LD
Iowa Sate University
Ames, IA 50010
Telephone: 515/296/7230
Fax: 515/294/6193
E-mail: abrunt@iastate.edu or
cbrunt@iastate.edu
