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Empty Refrigerators Linked to Hospitalization

Tue, 09/05/2000 - 11:00pm — Karen Stevenson
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An empty refrigerator in the home of an older person may be a precursor to a hospital admission. The refrigerator contents in the homes of 132 elderly Swiss residents were scrutinized during routine medical home visits following hospitalization. Researchers found that about 10% of the refrigerators were empty and 31% of the people with empty refrigerators landed in the hospital within four weeks. By comparison, only 8% of people with full refrigerators ended up in the hospital. Dr. Francois R. Herrmann, project manager in the geriatrics department at Geneva University Hospital in Switzerland, co-authored the study published in August 12 issue of The Lancet.

The doctors deemed the refrigerator contents either adequate, inadequate if food had expired or was rotten, or empty if fewer than three items were found. They also recorded how many pieces of meat, liters of milk and amounts of butter, vegetables and eggs were inside. A dietitian reviewed the results. The average age of the subjects was 81, 74% were women, and 69% lived alone.

Researchers pointed out that an empty refrigerator might be due to a number of things. The person might be clinically frail, or the empty appliance could be a sign that the person cannot handle daily activity, lacks the strength to shop, or doesn't have an external network to turn to for help. Herrmann says the study has obvious limitations. The doctors did not look at what food might be in cupboards in the houses, nor did they examine whether the refrigerator contents were related to the health status of the residents. The study also did not take into account the diseases for which people had been treated while hospitalized.

An empty refrigerator in the home of an older person may be a precursor to a hospital admission. The refrigerator contents in the homes of 132 elderly Swiss residents were scrutinized during routine medical home visits following hospitalization. Researchers found that about 10% of the refrigerators were empty and 31% of the people with empty refrigerators landed in the hospital within four weeks. By comparison, only 8% of people with full refrigerators ended up in the hospital. Dr. Francois R. Herrmann, project manager in the geriatrics department at Geneva University Hospital in Switzerland, co-authored the study published in August 12 issue of The Lancet.

The doctors deemed the refrigerator contents either adequate, inadequate if food had expired or was rotten, or empty if fewer than three items were found. They also recorded how many pieces of meat, liters of milk and amounts of butter, vegetables and eggs were inside. A dietitian reviewed the results. The average age of the subjects was 81, 74% were women, and 69% lived alone.

Researchers pointed out that an empty refrigerator might be due to a number of things. The person might be clinically frail, or the empty appliance could be a sign that the person cannot handle daily activity, lacks the strength to shop, or doesn't have an external network to turn to for help. Herrmann says the study has obvious limitations. The doctors did not look at what food might be in cupboards in the houses, nor did they examine whether the refrigerator contents were related to the health status of the residents. The study also did not take into account the diseases for which people had been treated while hospitalized.