Older people should follow a number of rules and recommendations to maintain good health and predict age-related complications. Malnutrition is one of the conditions that determine life quality among the geriatric population, and its screening plays an important role in reducing morbidity and mortality. Mini-Nutritional Assessment – Short Form (MNA-SF) is a simple and fast method to identify older adults who may be at risk for malnutrition. Such parameters as recent intake, body mass index, weight loss, mobility, and psychological or neuropsychological problems are identified (“Validated malnutrition screening and assessment tools,” 2017). It is expected to take this test regularly, for example, every three months.
During the last several years, the MNA-SF remains one of the most validated screening tools for the elderly. Validity is the extent to which the chosen diagnostic tool measures a condition, and its main components are predictive value (positive and negative), sensitivity, and specificity. The MNA-SF’s sensitivity is about 97.9%, and specificity (of the original version) is usually 100% (“Validated malnutrition screening and assessment tools,” 2017). In the majority of cases, the positive predictive value of the tool under analysis is 97%, meaning that almost all people who test positive have malnutrition problems. Due to its high rates in specificity and sensitivity, the negative predictive value is also about 97-100%. Taking into consideration such statistical data, it is possible to predict its diagnostic accuracy for the elderly in about 98.7% (“Validated malnutrition screening and assessment tools,” 2017). Malnutrition risks are not always easy to understand and recognize with age, and the chosen test is an excellent opportunity to evaluate the condition of patients and help deal with severe changes in weight or other vital signs.
Reference
Validated malnutrition screening and assessment tools: Comparison guide. (2017). Web.