Functional and nutritional status of older adults admitted to a general surgery ward

Background: Disease-related functional impairment and malnutrition increase the risk of adverse health outcomes. Objective: To establish a correlation between functional capacity and nutritional status in patients aged over 65 years who were admitted to a general surgery ward. Methodology: Descriptive and correlational study with a quantitative approach. The sample was composed of 89 older adults (78,0 ± 6,9 years) admitted to a general surgery ward. Participants were selected using the convenience sampling technique. The research protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee. Patients' functional capacity was assessed using the Barthel Index (BI) and the Lawton and Brody Scale (LBS), and the nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF). Results: The prevalence of malnutrition was 16.9%. Both BI and LBS scores showed a positive correlation with the MNA-SF scores (R = 0.400, p < 0.01 vs R = 0.267, p < 0.05). The oldest inpatients had lower BI, LBS, and MNA-SF scores (p < 0.01). Inpatients with a better functional and nutritional status had greater grip strength in the dominant hand (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Based on the association found between functional capacity and nutritional status, it is recommended to screen surgical patients for these conditions.