Correlation between nutritional status and hand grip strength of the elderly attended in a university hospital

Abstract

Palmar grip strength can be used both to evaluate the functionality and to analyze the nutritional status of the elderly people, as it has become an important indicator in the short-term changes in nutritional status and response to nutritional support, being recognized as per Its sensitivity to protein depletion. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to verify the association between nutritional status and handgrip strength in the elderly treated at the geriatric outpatient clinic of a University Hospital. METHODOLOGY: This is a quantitative study of the exploratory and descriptive type, with a cross-sectional design carried out at the geriatric’s clinic of a University Hospital. For the data collection, a semi-structured questionnaire composed of four modules was used. RESULTS: In the sample analyzed, 97% of the elderly interviewed lived in the urban area and 65% of them were illiterate or had only a few years of study. Of these, 50% were overweight/obese. Regarding palmar grip strength, men, in all age groups, presented higher average strength values when compared to women. CONCLUSION: Palmar grip strength is a measure of great importance for the early detection of malnutrition, frailty and sarcopenia in the elderly people.