This study aimed to examine the differences in discharge destinations by measuring the body composition of patients in convalescent rehabilitation wards.
A total of 135 patients (55 males, age 73.7±13.4 years, 80 females, age 81.6±8.9 years, mean ± standard deviation) were admitted to convalescent rehabilitation wards of the International University of Health and Welfare, Shioya Hospital from August 2021 to September 2022, and our study included 40 neurosurgical, 20 neurological, and 75 orthopedic patients.
Participant height, weight, and body composition were measured. For body composition, InBody S10, which measures body composition in a sitting or lying position, was used.
For statistical analysis, the Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare height, weight, body mass index (BMI), body composition (phase angle, SMI), mFIM, and Therapy Units for 107 patients discharged home and 28 patients discharged from the facility. The effect size, d, was then calculated. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Statistics version 29 (IBM) with a significance level of 5%.
Patients discharged from home and those discharged to institutions who were male had BMIs of 21.8 ± 3.1 kg/m2 and 20.4 ± 2.9 kg/m2, phase angles of 4.4 ± 0.8° and 3.6 ± 0.8°, SMIs of 6.6 ± 1.0 kg/m2 and 6.0 ± 0.8 kg/m2, mFIMs of 77.8 ± 15.7 and 48.6 ± 23.2 points, and Therapy Units of 2.2 ± 1.1 hours/day and 1.8 ± 1.3 hours/day, respectively. Those who were female had BMIs of 21.9 ± 4.0 kg/m2 and 21.8 ± 4.5 kg/m2, phase angles of 3.8 ± 0.8° and 3.1 ± 0.7°, SMIs of 5.4 ± 1.0 kg/m2 and 4.8 ± 0.6 kg/m2, mFIMs of 72.6 ± 18.9 and 46.3 ± 21.4 points, and Therapy Units of 2.2 ± 1.0 hours/day and 0.8 ± 1.1 hours/day, respectively.
Significant differences were found in the phase angle, SMI, and mFIM for both males and females, and the effect sizes were more prominent for the phase angles (d = 0.42 for males and d = 0.34 for females).
This study revealed differences in body composition between male and female patients depending on the location of hospital discharge. Patients admitted to convalescent rehabilitation wards receive assistance for long-term health recovery, which may contribute to their body composition.
The phase angle reflects cellular integrity and is a more sensitive predictor of survival than body weight change, which we believe has a significant effect on independence.
Our findings have the potential to help clinicians better understand the factors that allow patients be discharged home and return to the community sooner after acute care receive intensive rehabilitation.
discharge
functional independence measure
