Which DETERMINE item represents an age criterion?

Which DETERMINE item represents an age criterion?

• A. Elder years above 80
• B. Involuntary weight loss or gain
• C. Reduced social contact
• D. Multiple medicines

Answer: (A)

Determinine screens for nine risk factors that can affect nutrition in older adults, and one of these is age itself. The age criterion is being elderly, typically defined as older than 80 years. This item flags the inherent increased risk that comes with advancing age, independent of current weight changes, social circumstances, or how many medications someone takes. So, the statement describing elder years above 80 directly corresponds to that age-based risk marker in the DETERMINE framework. The other factors—involuntary weight loss or gain, reduced social contact, and multiple medicines—are important nutrition risk indicators, but they reflect current conditions or behaviors rather than the demographic age threshold used in DETERMINE.

Determinine screens for nine risk factors that can affect nutrition in older adults, and one of these is age itself. The age criterion is being elderly, typically defined as older than 80 years. This item flags the inherent increased risk that comes with advancing age, independent of current weight changes, social circumstances, or how many medications someone takes. So, the statement describing elder years above 80 directly corresponds to that age-based risk marker in the DETERMINE framework.

The other factors—involuntary weight loss or gain, reduced social contact, and multiple medicines—are important nutrition risk indicators, but they reflect current conditions or behaviors rather than the demographic age threshold used in DETERMINE.