Nutritional and swallowing statuses but not intramuscular adipose tissue and muscle mass are related to activities of daily living in older inpatients who are judged as severely low body mass index in the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria

•We examined the related factors to ADL in older inpatients who are judged as severely low BMI.•Nutritional and swallowing statuses are positively related to ADL in these patients.•Intramuscular adipose tissue and muscle mass are not related to ADL in these patients.