Compare and contrast literature about the Mini Nutritional Assessment Essay

Compare and contrast literature about the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) tool and critically evaluate the clinimetrics of this method - Essay Example Hence, through this tool, the risk of elderly patients for malnutrition can be quickly and effectively assessed. Harris et al (2007) in an observational study compares sensitivity, specificity, and the predictive positive and negative values of the screening measures in the elderly who leaves in a sheltered accommodation. These are: body mass index, mid – arm circumference, albumin, hemoglobin, lymphocyte count, cholesterol, and the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). In this study, the gold standard used to establish malnutrition risk was the assessment of a dietitian. Harris et al (2007) noted that out of 100 recruited people (31 male and 69 female having an average age of 79.3 year), ten of which categorized by the assessment of dietitian were at risk for malnutrition. The most sensitive and specific measure of screening, with 100% and 98% respectively, was the MUST score. The aforementioned has a specific predictive value of 1. On the other hand, the sensitivity and specificity of other values were the following: MNA 80% and 90%, mid-arm circumference 70% and 99%, BMI 60% and 90%, albumin 30% and 77%, hemoglobin 50% and 61%, lymphocyte count 20% and 86%, low cholesterol 30% and 90%. From this study, Harris et al (2007) concluded that in a sheltered housing, ten percent of the elderly were at risk for malnutrition. They further concluded that the most sensitive and specific method for further nutritional assessment identification is the MUST screening tool. In contrast of the aforementioned study, Kulnik and Elmadfa (2008) in their nutritional assessment of elderly nursing home residents in Vienna made use of MNA (Mini Nutritional Assessment) and NuRAS (Nutritional Risk Assessment Scale) tools to assess the general nutritional and health status of the residents. During the seven consecutive day study, the intake of energy and nutrients of the individual were