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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Public Health

High malnutrition risk burden in the oldest-old in integrated medical and long-term care institutions for older adults: a cross-sectional study

  • Jinfeng Gao1
  • Haomou Pu2
  • Yangyang Yan3
  • Li Zhong1
  • Wenqing Zheng4
  • Yan Wu3
  • Xia Zhang3
  • Xiaoping Yu5
5 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Clinical Nutrition, West China Longquan Hospital Sichuan University (The First People's Hospital of Longquanyi District Chengdu)
  2. 2Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Macau
  3. 3Department of Clinical Nutrition, Chengdu Jinxin Geriatric Hospital
  4. 4Department of Clinical Nutrition, Chengdu High-tech Jinxin Geriatric Hospital
  5. 5School of Preclinical Medicine, Chengdu University
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Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the burden of malnutrition risk among the oldest-old admitted to integrated medical and long-term care institutions for older adults in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, and to evaluate factors associated with malnutrition risk.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 220 adults aged ≥80 years admitted to three integrated medical and long-term care institutions for older adults between July 2024 and June 2025. Nutritional risk status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment–Short Form (MNA-SF). Demographic, anthropometric, dietary, laboratory, comorbidity, and functional data were collected. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with malnutrition risk. Restricted cubic splines were used to characterize the shape of the association between BMI and nutritional risk. Because BMI contributes to the MNA-SF score, models including BMI were interpreted as exploratory.

Results: The mean age was 87.46 ± 3.96 years, and 65.5% were women. Overall, 52.7% (95% CI: 46.1–59.4%) had MNA-SF scores in the malnourished range, 44.1% (95% CI: 37.5–50.7%) were at risk of malnutrition, and only 3.2% had a normal nutritional status. In exploratory models that included BMI, higher BMI was associated with lower odds of MNA-SF-defined malnutrition, whether modeled continuously (OR = 0.676, 95% CI: 0.591–0.773), by conventional BMI categories (OR = 0.227, 95% CI: 0.125–0.411), or by older-adult BMI categories (OR = 0.129, 95% CI: 0.062–0.269; all p < 0.001). A liquid or semi-liquid diet was associated with higher odds of malnutrition in models with and without BMI (ORs ranging from 2.092 to 2.487, all p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Malnutrition risk was highly prevalent among the oldest-old in integrated medical and long-term care institutions for older adults. Routine MNA-SF screening at admission, attention to residents receiving texture-modified diets, and confirmation of the BMI association in independent cohorts may support early nutritional intervention in this vulnerable population.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{gao2026high,
  title = {{High malnutrition risk burden in the oldest-old in integrated medical and long-term care institutions for older adults: a cross-sectional study}},
  author = {Jinfeng Gao and Haomou Pu and Yangyang Yan and Li Zhong and Wenqing Zheng and Yan Wu and Xia Zhang and Xiaoping Yu},
  journal = {Frontiers in Public Health},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1886677},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1886677/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - High malnutrition risk burden in the oldest-old in integrated medical and long-term care institutions for older adults: a cross-sectional study
AU  - Jinfeng Gao
AU  - Haomou Pu
AU  - Yangyang Yan
AU  - Li Zhong
AU  - Wenqing Zheng
AU  - Yan Wu
AU  - Xia Zhang
AU  - Xiaoping Yu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/29
JO  - Frontiers in Public Health
DO  - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1886677
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1886677/full
AB  - Objective: This study aimed to assess the burden of malnutrition risk among the oldest-old admitted to integrated medical and long-term care institutions for older adults in Chengdu, Sichuan, China, and to evaluate factors associated with malnutrition risk.  Methods: This cross-sectional study included 220 adults aged ≥80 years admitted to three integrated medical and long-term care institutions for older adults between July 2024 and June 2025. Nutritional risk status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment–Short Form (MNA-SF). Demographic, anthropometric, dietary, laboratory, comorbidity, and functional data were collected. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with malnutrition risk. Restricted cubic splines were used to characterize the shape of the association between BMI and nutritional risk. Because BMI contributes to the MNA-SF score, models including BMI were interpreted as exploratory.  Results: The mean age was 87.46 ± 3.96 years, and 65.5% were women. Overall, 52.7% (95% CI: 46.1–59.4%) had MNA-SF scores in the malnourished range, 44.1% (95% CI: 37.5–50.7%) were at risk of malnutrition, and only 3.2% had a normal nutritional status. In exploratory models that included BMI, higher BMI was associated with lower odds of MNA-SF-defined malnutrition, whether modeled continuously (OR = 0.676, 95% CI: 0.591–0.773), by conventional BMI categories (OR = 0.227, 95% CI: 0.125–0.411), or by older-adult BMI categories (OR = 0.129, 95% CI: 0.062–0.269; all p < 0.001). A liquid or semi-liquid diet was associated with higher odds of malnutrition in models with and without BMI (ORs ranging from 2.092 to 2.487, all p < 0.05).  Conclusion: Malnutrition risk was highly prevalent among the oldest-old in integrated medical and long-term care institutions for older adults. Routine MNA-SF screening at admission, attention to residents receiving texture-modified diets, and confirmation of the BMI association in independent cohorts may support early nutritional intervention in this vulnerable population.
SN  - 2296-2565
ER  -