Incidence and associated factors of malnutrition among older people in nursing homes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Hui-Qin Zhang, La-Mei Liu, Xiao-Xuan Wang, Qi-Han Zhang, Tong-Yao Xu, Yan Zhang, Peng Wang, Qiu-Fang Li · 2026
Read Incidence and associated factors of malnutrition among older people in nursing homes: a systematic review and meta-analysis by Hui-Qin Zhang, La-Mei Liu, Xiao-Xuan Wang, Qi-Han Zhang, Tong-Yao Xu, Yan Zhang, Peng Wang, Qiu-Fang Li (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13474886.txt.
Description
Zhang and colleagues pooled studies in 2026 on malnutrition among older people living in nursing homes, where poor eating quietly worsens many other conditions. They searched seven databases for observational studies through September 2024 and combined results on how common malnutrition is and what raises its risk. The final set held 25 studies covering 51,915 nursing home residents in total.
Across the pooled studies, 22 percent of residents were malnourished, a share the authors call a widespread problem for care homes. Poor appetite carried the strongest single link, with odds of malnutrition about 7.6 times higher in residents whose appetite was low. Needing help with daily activities, weak swallowing, and care dependence also raised risk sharply. Having three or more illnesses did too, while higher body mass index was protective. The team therefore proposes risk prediction models for care homes.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Hui-Qin Zhang, La-Mei Liu, Xiao-Xuan Wang, Qi-Han Zhang, Tong-Yao Xu, Yan Zhang, Peng Wang, Qiu-Fang Li |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 40 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |