Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) is Rather a Reliable and Valid Instrument to Assess Nutritional Status in Iranian Healthy Adults and Elderly with a Chronic Disease

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) to assess nutritional status of Iranian population and to compare its psychometric properties between patients suffering from a chronic disease, healthy elderly and younger adults. As a group of elderly with a chronic disease, 143 Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients and as the control group, 467 healthy persons were enrolled. The Persian-translated version of MNA was filled-up through interviews together with anthropometric measurements. Cronbach’s α coefficient of entire MNA was 0.66 and 0.70 in healthy individuals and PD patients, respectively. The total MNA score could significantly discriminate the ones with BMI ≥ 24kg/m² in both groups. In general, MNA was a valid and reliable tool for nutritional assessment. We acknowledge study limitations including lack of serum measurements and a selection bias towards mild-to-moderate PD. MNA is a more reliable tool in older healthy individuals and rather younger elderly with PD.

KEYWORDS:

• elderly
• Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA)
• nutritional status
• reliability
• validity

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to the colleagues who contribute in data collection from the movement disorder clinic namely Mahdyeh Shafieesabet, Hasti Hadizadeh, Farzaneh Farhadi, Dena Khaefpanah, Nader Naderi, Arash Rahmani and Ms. Mahmoudi. The authors also thank all participants for their collaboration to collect the data for this project.