Development of a dietary management indicator system for older adults with disabilities: a Delphi study

Objectives This study aims to develop a national consensus on the needs and dietary management of disabled older adults and guide their nutritional care. Methods A systematic review of the literature in the Pubmed was conducted to identify evidence regarding the nutritional management of disabled older adults people. Subsequently, an expert panel was formed to understand their perspectives on the nutritional management of disabled older adults people through semi-structured interviews. Finally, through a modified Delphi method, a multidisciplinary expert panel was invited to refine and validate the nutritional management indicators for disabled older adults people. Results The average score of three expert coordination coefficients were 0.95 (judgmental basis), 0.86 (familiarity), 0.90 (authority) respectively. The average score of Kendall’s W was 0.890. A comprehensive list for the nutritional management of disabled older adults people was established, which covers 35 primary indicators, 16 sary indicators, and 33 tertiary indicators. Conclusion The index system of nutritional needs and dietary management for disabled older adult individuals, as constructed in this study, provides a theoretically grounded framework that requires further empirical validation. It provides a reference for the nutritional management of disabled older adults in the future.