Malnutrition and Dysphagia in Long-Term Care: A Systematic Review

Determining the co-occurrence of malnutrition and dysphagia is important to understand the extent to which swallowing impairment contributes to poor food intake in long-term care (LTC). This review investigated the impact of dysphagia on malnutrition in LTC by synthesizing the results of published literature. Seven electronic databases were used to search for English-language publications reporting malnutrition and dysphagia in LTC facilities from 1946 to 2013. Fourteen studies were eligible for inclusion. Overall, the literature on the co-occurrence of malnutrition and dysphagia in LTC shows a paucity of high-quality evidence. Articles reviewed lacked consistent definitions for both conditions. Methods used to confirm each diagnosis also differed and were of questionable validity. Based on a review of the literature, evidence of the existence of concurrent concerns with respect to malnutrition and dysphagia emerges. The reported frequency of participants in LTC with dysphagia ranges from 7% to 40%, while...