Nutritional assessment
malnutrition
MALNUTRITION
Participants’ body mass was assessed using a digital scale (Omron Medizintechnik, Mannheim, Germany), with any footwear, heavy clothing, and accessories removed. Body height was measured with participants standing on the Frankfort plane, after exhaling normally, utilizing a stature-measuring instrument (SECA 225, Hamburg, Germany). Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated by dividing the body mass (in kilograms) by the square of the height (in meters). Waist, left arm, and left leg circumferences were measured using a metallic non-extensible tape (Lufkin W606PM, Washington, United States) following the International Standards for Anthropometric Assessment (ISAK) guidelines standard techniques by an ISAK level 1 evaluator. The waist circumference was measured at the thinnest point, while the arm and leg circumferences were measured at the most prominent points. All measurements were conducted twice by an experienced examiner, and the final value was obtained as the mean between the two measurements.Moreover, the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) was applied through a personal interview to screen for the risk of malnutrition among the participants (