Feasibility of the German version of the malnutrition awareness scale (MAS) questionnaire for older adults
Volpp M, Eglseer D, Volkert D, Jager-Wittenaar H, Jager-Wittenaar H, Sealy M, Leistra E, Visser M, Weber L (2025)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2025
Journal
Book Volume: 69
Pages Range: 1046
DOI: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2025.07.705
Abstract
Rationale: The recently developed Malnutrition Awareness Scale (MAS) for community-dwelling older adults was translated from English into German, culturally adapted and back-translated. Following a “Thinking Aloud Study” with 13 participants and minor modifications of the questionnaire, feasibility of this adapted MAS version was evaluated in Graz/Austria (AT) and Nuremberg/Germany (GE).
Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 51 Austrian and 47 German community-dwelling persons aged 60 years or older, rated comprehensibility of 35 statements/questions and difficulty of 23 items of the MAS with a 4-point Likert scale. For each item the proportion of persons who rated the respective item as (very) understandable or (very) easy was calculated, resulting in an item comprehensibility index (I-CI) and item difficulty index (I-DI) for each item/statement/question (>0.78 excellent). Scale indices S-CI and S-DI were calculated as means of the respective single item indices (≥0.8 acceptable, ≥0.9 excellent).
Results: Participants from Austria were 76 ± 9 years old, 61% were female and 8%/37% had a low/high educational level. In Germany, participants were 74 ± 8 years old, 60% were female and 11%/47% had a low/high educational level. I-CI ranged from 0.86 to 1.00 (AT) and from 0.91 to 1.00 (GE), I-DI from 0.84 to 1.00 (AT) and from 0.77 to 1.00 (GE). S-CI was 0.95 (AT) and 0.98 (GE) indicating excellent comprehensibility in both regions, S-DI was 0.94 (AT) and 0.92 (GE) indicating no difficulty to complete the questionnaire in both regions.
Conclusion: The German version of the MAS seems to be a clear and easy-to-use tool to assess malnutrition awareness in German speaking older adults. Next, experts’ view of the relevance of the MAS items will provide information about content validity.
Disclosure of Interest: None declared
Authors with CRIS profile
Dorothee Volkert
Professur für Klinische Ernährung im Alter
Linda Weber
Lehrstuhl für Innere Medizin (Geriatrie)
Involved external institutions
Hanze University of Applied Sciences
Netherlands (NL)
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) / University Amsterdam
Netherlands (NL)
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Belgium (BE)
Netherlands (NL)
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU) / University Amsterdam
Netherlands (NL)
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Belgium (BE)
How to cite
APA:
Volpp, M., Eglseer, D., Volkert, D., Jager-Wittenaar, H., Jager-Wittenaar, H., Sealy, M.,... Weber, L. (2025). Feasibility of the German version of the malnutrition awareness scale (MAS) questionnaire for older adults. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 69, 1046. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2025.07.705
MLA:
Volpp, M., et al. "Feasibility of the German version of the malnutrition awareness scale (MAS) questionnaire for older adults." Clinical Nutrition ESPEN 69 (2025): 1046.
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