Assessment Tools for Detecting Malnutrition among Elderly in Shelter Homes: A Systematic Review

Assessing nutritional status in older people is essential to screen for malnutrition and identify the individuals requiring nutritional intervention for a better quality of life and longer life expectancy. This review aimed to investigate malnutrition and the role of nutritional assessment tools among older people in Malaysia. We systematically reviewed the publications from 2000 to 2019 using PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus databases, recovering 15 original articles published until January 2022. This systematic review was conducted from May to September 2022. Two reviewers were involved in the process of the selection of articles and data extraction. Only research papers on malnutrition among older people in institutionalized settings in Malaysia were included. Four articles related to malnutrition in older people in old folk homes in Malaysia were included in this review. The tools with the most significant evidence were Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) and Nutritional Health Checklist (NHC) in residential care for the elderly. It was found that the incidence of malnutrition among the elderly in old folk homes in Malaysia ranged from 12.3% to 17.4%. Meanwhile, 40.4% to 57.7% of the population are documented to be at risk of malnutrition. NA and DETERMINE NHC were found to be most suitable for use in residential care due to their high sensitivity and specificity. A subsequent study is proposed to build and implement a scoring system to rate screening tools based on the validity, suitability, and practicability of the tools to help with malnutrition screening research and clinical practice in Malaysia and internationall

The effects of water stress on mung bean (Vigna radiata L.): variability in the growth, biomass & stomatal opening

Mung bean (Vigna radiata) is widely cultivated across Asia and has gained popularity in various cuisines due to its high nutritional value. Rich in protein, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and bioactive compounds like polyphenols and peptides, mung beans are considered a valuable functional food. The present experiment aimed to study the effects of water stress on the growth and yield of mung beans by applying varying water treatment volumes (20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 ml). Key growth parameters measured included stomata size on the stem and leaves, the number of leaves, average plant height, and biomass, all assessed after one week of growth. Water was supplemented every two days, and progress was monitored over the course of the week. The study found that the different volumes of water had a significant impact on the growth patterns, leaf count, biomass, and stomatal opening in the stem and leaves of the mung beans. The results suggest that while an adequate amount of water is essential for maximizing mung bean yield, excessive water can hinder growth by disrupting nutrient balance and other physiological processes. Therefore, to achieve optimal growth and yield in mung beans, careful management of water supply is crucial