Evaluation of Handgrip Strength and Nutritional Risk of Congregate Nutrition Program Participants in Florida.

The aim of this study was to determine if handgrip strength (HGS) is a predictor of nutritional risk in community-dwelling older adults. A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the relationship between HGS and nutritional risk using SCREEN 1. The setting was Congregate Nutrition program meal sites (n = 10) in North Central Florida and included community-dwelling older adults participating in the Congregate Nutrition program. Older adults (n = 136; 77.1 ± 8.9 y; 45 M, 91 F) participated in the study. Nutritional risk was identified in 68% of participants, with 10% exhibiting clinically relevant weakness (men, HGS < 26 kg; women, HGS < 16 kg), suggesting a vulnerable population. HGS was weakly associated with nutritional risk as assessed by SCREEN 1 (AUC = 0.59), but alternate cutpoints, 33 kg for men (mean of both hands) and 22 kg for women (highest of either hand), provided the best comparison to nutritional risk. In community-dwelling older adults, HGS was weakly associated with nutritional risk assessed using traditional screening. However, as existing research supports the inclusion of HGS in malnutrition screening in acute care, further research into the usefulness of HGS and possibly other measures of functional status in nutrition risk screening of community-dwelling older adults may be warranted.

Acceptability and Identification of Scooped Versus Molded Puréed Foods.

PURPOSE: Although puréed foods are commonly recommended for individuals with dysphagia and the acceptability of these foods is often a concern, few sensory studies on puréed foods have been carried out. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of serving style (i.e., scooped vs molded), on identification and acceptability of puréed foods in younger and older adults. METHODS: Acceptability of scooped versus molded puréed meats and vegetables was evaluated using the hedonic general Labeled Magnitude Scale. The younger adult panelists (n = 97; 55 F, 42 M) were recruited from the University of Florida staff and students, and the older adult panelists (n = 70; 59 F, 11 M) were recruited from the community. RESULTS: The younger panelists correctly identified a higher percentage of puréed foods than did the older panelists. Scooped puréed foods were more acceptable than molded. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that puréed foods may be more acceptable and identifiable when served without molding for both younger and older adults.