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We assessed the nutritional status and physical function of 121 women (79.4 +/- 6.6 y, 26.8 +/- 5.6 kg/m2) and 61 men (78.6 +/- 8.3 y, 26.6 +/- 4.7 kg/m2) participating in the Geriatric Day Hospital. According to a composite index of malnutrition, 19% of them were found malnourished whereas the Mini-Nutritional Assessment, a validated nutritional screening tool, found that 56% of the elderly were malnourished or at risk for malnutrition. Malnourished persons, as determined by the composite index, had a lower lean body mass (LBM) by bioelectrical impedance analysis compared with the well-nourished group (40.5 +/- 9.7 vs. 42.0 +/- 8.7 kg, p = 0.0001). LBM correlated significantly with handgrip strength (r = 0.34, p = 0.0001) but not with gait speed (r = 0.04, p = 0.27). There were no significant differences between nutritional states for any of the two tests of physical function. The score of the MNA, correlated with gait speed (r = 0.24, p = 0.02) but the performance at the physical tests was not different according to the nutritional status defined by this tool. We conclude that malnutrition is relatively prevalent among frail persons participating in the Geriatric Day Hospital and that malnutrition is one among many other factors that contribute to their low level of physical performance. As such, a nutritional intervention may be of benefit in improving the physical function of frail elderly persons who are malnourished.

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