Estimating total daily energy requirements in community-dwelling older adults: validity of previous predictive equations and modeling of a new approach

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition 2021-01, Vol.75 (1), p.133-140
• Main Authors: Batista, Lais Duarte, De França, Natasha Aparecida Grande, Pfrimer, Karina, Fontanelli, Mariane de Mello, Ferriolli, Eduardo, Fisberg, Regina Mara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/53; 692/700/2814; 692/700/478/2772; 82/58; Accuracy; Adults; Aged; Clinical Nutrition; Correlation coefficient; Correlation coefficients; Dietary intake; Energy; Energy expenditure; Energy requirements; Epidemiology; Estimation; Internal Medicine; Malnutrition; Mathematical models; Measurement; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Men; Metabolic Diseases; Modelling; Nutritional aspects; Older people; Physiological aspects; Prediction models; Public Health; Recommended daily allowances
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/s41430-020-00717-0

Background/objectives Accurate estimation of energy requirements is crucial for health maintenance and prevention of malnutrition in older adults. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of predictive equations for estimating energy requirements in older adults and to test the validity of new predictive equations for this age group. Subjects/methods This is a cross-sectional study including 38 Brazilian community-dwelling older adults aged 60–84 years, who had their total energy expenditure measured by doubly labeled water (TEE DLW ). The energy expenditure was compared to the Institute of Medicine (Dietary Reference Intake (DRI)) and Vinken et al. previous predictive equations and three predictive models developed in a modeling sample. The agreement was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficient, Bland–Altman plots, and Lin’s concordance correlation. Accuracy was evaluated considering ±10% of the ratio between estimated and measured energy expenditure. Results The mean (standard deviation) TEE DLW was 2656.7 (405.6) kcal/day for men and 2168.9 (376.9) for women. Vinken et al. and both DRI equations presented moderate to good degree of agreement, while the developed models vary from fair to very good agreement in comparison to DLW. The accuracy rate was the same for both DRI equations and Vinken et al. equation (60.53%). The new equations developed in this study had accuracy in predicting TEE for Brazilian older adults varying from 43.11% to 73.68%. Conclusions The results corroborate the use of previous predictive equations for estimating energy requirements in Brazilian older adults. Further studies have the potential to explore the use of the developed models to assess energy needs in this population.