Swallowing difficulty (SWD) commonly occurs and is associated with malnutrition in old age. Less is known of how SWD is associated with various nutrient intakes.

To examine how SWD among residents in assisted living facilities.

In this cross-sectional study, we examined 345 residents in Helsinki in 2007. Detailed energy, protein and nutrient intakes were calculated from 1-day food diaries and compared with the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNRs) as a measure of dietary adequacy. Swallowing was assessed by the closest nurse knowing the resident well. Nutritional status was assessed using the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA).

Of the participants, 14% (n=48) suffered from SWD, often had prior stroke, increased comorbidities and lower body-mass index. A larger proportion of residents with SWD consumed oral nutritional supplements. The MNA showed that over 52% of residents with SWD were malnourished, whereas the respective figure was 17% among residents without SWD. A large proportion of the study population had lower than recommended intakes of energy, protein and micronutrients. However, those with SWD differed significantly from those without only in higher protein and lower zinc and folic acid intakes.

Although malnutrition was more common among those with SWD than those without, the daily intakes of energy, protein and micronutrients were similar in these groups, highlighting that the risk of malnutrition and low nutrient intakes commonly occurred in both groups of residents in assisted living facilities.