J Clin Med Res

Journal of Clinical Medicine Research, ISSN 1918-3003 print, 1918-3011 online, Open Access

Article copyright, the authors; Journal compilation copyright, J Clin Med Res and Elmer Press Inc

Journal website https://www.jocmr.org

Original Article

Volume 15, Number 6, June 2023, pages 321-327

Nutritional Interpretation of Hospital Diets for Elderly Patients With Chronic Diseases and Analysis of Factors Influencing Actual Intakes

**Table 1.** Demographics
Demographics
Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Inside is quartile. The main causes for admission included chronic heart failure, bronchial pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and type 2 diabetes; however, these conditions had been treated in the acute care hospital. Thus, patients’ conditions became stable. The perceived nutritional intake is calculated basis of the diet history questionnaire. ^aρ < -0.001, P = 0.999. ^bρ = 0.089, P = 0.535. ^cρ = 0.056, P = 0.709 (Spearman rank correlation). Alb: serum albumin; NPC/N: nonprotein calorie/nitrogen.
Number of patients (male/female)	51 (36/15)
Age (years)	77.7 ± 9.5	(68.5 - 85.0)
Body mass index (kg/m²)	20.6 ± 4.4	(16.9 - 23.9)
Alb (g/dL)	3.3 ± 0.6	(2.9 - 3.8)
Perceived nutritional intake
Energy (kcal)	1,157 ± 344^a	(959 - 1,316)
Protein (g)	47.2 ± 16.9^b	(36.6 - 53.8)
NPC/N	132.6 ± 29.3^c	(109.3 - 149.4)
Actual nutritional intake
Energy (kcal)	1,402 ± 281^a	(1,269 - 1,631)
Protein (g)	60.2 ± 9.3^b	(55.8 - 66.0)
NPC/N	121.1 ± 25.2^c	(107.4 - 140.0)

Table 1. Demographics

Demographics

Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Inside is quartile. The main causes for admission included chronic heart failure, bronchial pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and type 2 diabetes; however, these conditions had been treated in the acute care hospital. Thus, patients’ conditions became stable. The perceived nutritional intake is calculated basis of the diet history questionnaire. ^aρ < -0.001, P = 0.999. ^bρ = 0.089, P = 0.535. ^cρ = 0.056, P = 0.709 (Spearman rank correlation). Alb: serum albumin; NPC/N: nonprotein calorie/nitrogen.

Number of patients (male/female)

51 (36/15)

Age (years)

77.7 ± 9.5

(68.5 - 85.0)

Body mass index (kg/m²)

20.6 ± 4.4

(16.9 - 23.9)

Alb (g/dL)

3.3 ± 0.6

(2.9 - 3.8)

Perceived nutritional intake

Energy (kcal)

1,157 ± 344^a

(959 - 1,316)

Protein (g)

47.2 ± 16.9^b

(36.6 - 53.8)

NPC/N

132.6 ± 29.3^c

(109.3 - 149.4)

Actual nutritional intake

Energy (kcal)

1,402 ± 281^a

(1,269 - 1,631)

Protein (g)

60.2 ± 9.3^b

(55.8 - 66.0)

NPC/N

121.1 ± 25.2^c

(107.4 - 140.0)

**Table 2.** The Relationship Between Cosine Similarity and Each Item
	ρ value	P value
N = 51 (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient). ^aThe relationship according to whether there is a difference with a normal diet or special therapeutic diet.
Sex	0.225	0.112
Age	0.063	0.662
Type of hospital meal^a	0.149	0.296
Body mass index	0.085	0.553
Alb	-0.032	0.827
Intake (staple food)	-0.242	0.087
Intake (side dish)	-0.212	0.135

Table 2. The Relationship Between Cosine Similarity and Each Item

ρ value

P value

N = 51 (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient). ^aThe relationship according to whether there is a difference with a normal diet or special therapeutic diet.

Sex

0.225

0.112

Age

0.063

0.662

Type of hospital meal^a

0.149

0.296

Body mass index

0.085

0.553

Alb

-0.032

0.827

Intake (staple food)

-0.242

0.087

Intake (side dish)

-0.212

0.135

**Table 3.** Comparison Between the High Awareness and the Low Awareness Group: Cosine Similarity Was Used to Stratify Each Group Based on the Mean Cosine Similarity
	Group with low awareness of negative cosine similarity	Group with high awareness of positive cosine similarity
Intake is defined as 1.00 when the whole meal is eaten. Inside is quartile. P < 0.05 (Chi-squared test). **P < 0.001 (Welch’s t test). Alb: serum albumin.
Number of patients (male/female)	16 (14/2)	9 (5/4)	0.142	12 (11/1)	14 (6/8)	0.014^*
Age (years)	80.0 (62 - 88)	80.0 (63 - 90)	0.777	73.0 (59 - 92)	80.5 (65 - 95)	0.135
Body mass index (kg/m²)	19.7 (15.2 - 25.8)	20.9 (14.4 - 26.1)	0.821	20.3 (13.2 - 29.2)	20.5 (13.4 - 31.8)	0.662
Alb (g/dL)	3.4 (2.0 - 4.1)	3.5 (2.0 - 4.7)	0.332	3.4 (2.4 - 4.1)	3.1 (2.4 - 4.1)	0.245
Cosine similarity	-0.84 (-0.98 - -0.76)	-0.49 (-0.69 - -0.16)	< 0.001^***	0.41 (0.14 - 0.62)	0.90 (0.65 - 1.00)	< 0.001^***
Type of hospital meal (a normal diet or special therapeutic diet) (normal/special)	16 (7/9)	9 (0/9)	0.027^*	12 (5/7)	14 (3/11)	0.401
Intake (staple food)	1.00 (0.93 - 1.00)	1.00 (0.58 - 1.00)	0.199	1.00 (0.66 - 1.00)	0.99 (0.40 - 1.00)	0.053
Intake (side dish)	1.00 (0.86 - 1.00)	0.96 (0.66 - 1.00)	0.096	1.00 (0.81 - 1.00)	0.98 (0.54 - 1.00)	0.074

Table 3. Comparison Between the High Awareness and the Low Awareness Group: Cosine Similarity Was Used to Stratify Each Group Based on the Mean Cosine Similarity

Group with low awareness of negative cosine similarity

Group with high awareness of positive cosine similarity

Small cosine similarity group

Large cosine similarity group

P value

Small cosine similarity group

Large cosine similarity group

P value

Intake is defined as 1.00 when the whole meal is eaten. Inside is quartile. *P < 0.05 (Chi-squared test). ***P < 0.001 (Welch’s t test). Alb: serum albumin.

Number of patients (male/female)

16 (14/2)

9 (5/4)

0.142

12 (11/1)

14 (6/8)

0.014^*

Age (years)

80.0 (62 - 88)

80.0 (63 - 90)

0.777

73.0 (59 - 92)

80.5 (65 - 95)

0.135

Body mass index (kg/m²)

19.7 (15.2 - 25.8)

20.9 (14.4 - 26.1)

0.821

20.3 (13.2 - 29.2)

20.5 (13.4 - 31.8)

0.662

Alb (g/dL)

3.4 (2.0 - 4.1)

3.5 (2.0 - 4.7)

0.332

3.4 (2.4 - 4.1)

3.1 (2.4 - 4.1)

0.245

Cosine similarity

-0.84 (-0.98 - -0.76)

-0.49 (-0.69 - -0.16)

< 0.001^***

0.41 (0.14 - 0.62)

0.90 (0.65 - 1.00)

< 0.001^***

Type of hospital meal (a normal diet or special therapeutic diet) (normal/special)

16 (7/9)

9 (0/9)

0.027^*

12 (5/7)

14 (3/11)

0.401

Intake (staple food)

1.00 (0.93 - 1.00)

1.00 (0.58 - 1.00)

0.199

1.00 (0.66 - 1.00)

0.99 (0.40 - 1.00)

0.053

Intake (side dish)

1.00 (0.86 - 1.00)

0.96 (0.66 - 1.00)

0.096

1.00 (0.81 - 1.00)

0.98 (0.54 - 1.00)

0.074