Gait speed and malnutrition in hospitalized patients and the quality of life of their caregivers.

OBJECTIVE To verify the age, nutritional status, and gait speed in hospitalized individuals, and their association with the quality of life of their caregivers. METHODS Observational cross-sectional study with 54 patients and their respective caretakers in a university hospital in the Brazilian Midwest. The analyses were carried out using the SPSS software, with p < 0.05. RESULTS The Social Relations domain had the highest mean score (71.45±18.64). The lowest score was in the Physical domain (57.80±12.01). According to a subjective nutritional evaluation, 72.2% presented some degree of malnutrition. Most were classified with low gait speeds (82%). There was a significant correlation between age and the Physical and General Quality of Life domains. The Environment domain was significantly correlated to the gait speed. CONCLUSION The age and the gait speed of the patient were related to the quality of life of the caregiver, but the nutritional state was not affected.