Background: Several long-term care studies have shown that residents with dementia-related disorders are more prone to weight loss and malnutrition. Very few studies have investigated institutional characteristics, such as foodservice factors, and their possible link to malnutrition in this population. The objective of this study was to identify whether foodservice factors influence risk of malnutrition in cognitively impaired elderly nursing home residents.
Methods: Cognitively impaired residents meeting inclusion criteria and living within each of 38 participating nursing homes were randomly sampled. The final sample of 263 residents was screened for risk of malnutrition, and a questionnaire on participants' dining experiences was completed by primary caregivers. Additional data came from participants' medical charts, and a written questionnaire was completed by each institution's foodservice manager. Logistic regressions were used to examine relationships between risk of malnutrition and foodservice characteristics.
Results: Close to 70% of participants were at risk of malnutrition. Foodservice factors, including tray food delivery systems, timing of menu selection, difficulty manipulating dishes, lids and food packages, as well as therapeutic diets were all significantly associated with risk of malnutrition.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that many nursing homes could modify certain aspects of foodservices that may affect risk of malnutrition among cognitively impaired residents.