The Association between Older Persons’ Nutrition and Frailty Risk and Chewing and Swallowing Disorders in Tainan City, Taiwan

Abstract Background Delaying disability is a current and crucial public health issue. Addressing how to prevent the consequences of malnutrition, such as frailty, sarcopenia, and even death, is challenging. However, determining which assessment tools to use to effectively identify potential cases for intervention is an area where frontline public health personnel currently require significant assistance. Methods In this study, a community screening approach was employed, incorporating diverse assessment tools and scales such as the MNA-SF, SOF, GDS-15, AD8, EAT-10, and a chewing assessment scale. The analysis involves physiological measurements to identify correlations among these assessment tools. The AUC (area under the curve) is then utilized to assess the predictive power of these tools. Results The primary factors influencing the presence of nutritional risk in patients included age, grip strength, level of physical activity, history of cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes), severity of depression, and presence of chewing difficulties. The AUC for these factors reached 0.6668. The main factors influencing the risk of frailty in patients included the presence of cardiovascular risk factors, the severity of depression, the presence of swallowing difficulties, and the presence of nutritional risk, with a high AUC of 0.7956. The findings highlight the practical utility of these relevant tools in community screening. Conclusion Using the Chewing Scale and EAT-10 enables rapid screening for malnutrition and frailty, aiding frontline health workers in providing timely interventions, education, and counseling and reducing associated risks and mortality. Combining the GDS-15 score enhances the predictive capability.