The efficacy of a nutrition education intervention to prevent risk of malnutrition for dependent elderly patients receiving Home Care: A randomized controlled trial

Objective: To assess the effect of a nutrition education intervention included in the Home Care Program for caregivers to prevent the increasing risk of malnutrition of dependent patients at risk of malnutrition.

Design: Randomized controlled multicenter trial of 6 months of duration and 12 months follow-up.

Settings: 10 Primary Care Centers, Spain.

Participants: Patients enrolled in the Home Care Program between January 2010 and March 2012, who were dependent and at risk of malnutrition, older than 65, and had caregivers (n=190).

Intervention: The nurses conducted initial educational intervention sessions for caregivers and then monitored at home every month for 6 months.

Measurements: The nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment test (primary outcome), diet, anthropometry, and biochemical parameters (albumin, prealbumin, hemoglobin and cholesterol). Other descriptive and outcome measures were recorded: current medical history, Activities of daily living (Barthel test), cognitive state (Pfeiffer test), and mood status (Yesavage test). All the measures were recorded in a schedule of 0-6-12 months.

Results: 173 individuals participated after exclusions (intervention n=101; control n=72). Mean age was 87.8±8.9years, 68.2% were women. Difference were found between the groups for Mini Nutritional Assessment test score change (repeated measures ANOVA, F=10.1; P<0.001), the intervention improved the Mini Nutritional Assessment test score of the participants in the intervention group. The egg consumption (F=4.1; P=0.018), protein intake (F=3.0; P=0.050), polyunsaturated fatty acid intake (F=5.3; P=0.006), folate (F=3.3; P=0.041) and vitamin E (F=6.4; P=0.002) showed significant group×time interactions.

Conclusion: A nutrition education intervention for caregivers halted the tendency of nutritional decline, and reduced the risk of malnutrition of older dependent patients.

Trial registration: Clinical Trial Registration-URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov. Identifier: NCT01360775.