Nutritional status, as determined by the Mini-Nutritional Assessment, and osteoporosis: a cross-sectional study of an elderly female population

Objective: To investigate the relationship between osteoporosis and nutritional status as determined by the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: Stockholm, Sweden. Subjects: A total of 351 elderly free-living women (mean age 73+/-2.3 years). Methods: MNA (range 0-30 points; or=24 well nourished), measurements of bone mineral density of the left hip and lumbar spine using Hologic QDR 4500, and of the heel using Calscan DEXA-T. Results: The median MNA score was 27 (range 12.5-30). One woman was classified as malnourished and 7.4% were at risk of malnutrition. Osteoporosis of the femoral neck was observed in 22% and a fracture after the age of 50 was reported by 31% of the participants. The following items in the MNA questionnaire exhibited an increased risk of having osteoporosis in the femoral neck and/or total hip: an MNA score of