Nutritional Management Indicators for Disabled Older Adults via Delphi Study

A Delphi study developed a consensus-based indicator system for the nutritional management of disabled older adults. The system comprises 35 primary, 16 secondary, and 33 tertiary indicators, validated by expert panels. It was created by Meiyao Li and published in 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyze the 35 primary indicators to identify core nutritional needs for disabled older adults.
• Validate the 16 secondary indicators against clinical guidelines for dietary management frameworks.
• Apply the 33 tertiary indicators to design targeted nutritional intervention programs.
• Use the expert coordination coefficients (0.95, 0.86, 0.90) to assess the reliability of the Delphi consensus process.

Strengths

• The indicator system is detailed, containing 84 total indicators across three hierarchical levels.
• High expert consensus is evidenced by a Kendall's W coefficient of 0.890.
• The study methodology is clearly documented, involving systematic review, expert interviews, and a modified Delphi process.

Limitations

• The dataset is very small (20.6 KB), containing only the final indicator list and study results, not raw survey or interview data.
• The indicators are theoretical constructs derived from expert consensus and require empirical validation, as noted in the conclusion.
• Geographic scope and sample size of the expert panel are not specified, limiting generalizability.

Provenance

Source

Meiyao Li via figshare.

Collection Method

Modified Delphi method involving a multidisciplinary expert panel, preceded by a systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews.

Freshness

Last updated March 2026.

Geography

National focus implied, but specific country not stated.