title: The development, validation and reliability of a nutrition screening tool based on the recommendations of the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Nutrition screening tools (NST) identify individuals who are malnourished or at risk of becoming malnourished and who may benefit from nutritional support. The aims of this study were to design, pilot and evaluate a NST based on four nutritional parameters (weight, height, recent unintentional weight loss and appetite) recommended by the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition as the minimum required to identify patients with nutritional problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  A dietitian assessed the nutritional status of 100 patients admitted to the general medical wards. Results from the study were used to design a NST. The concurrent validity of the screening tool was then assessed, by comparing it with a nutritional assessment by an experienced dietitian in 100 patients admitted to acute medical and elderly care wards. The inter-rater reliability of the screening tool was also assessed using three nurses and 26 acute medical patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All four nutritional parameters were required to identify all at-risk patients. There was good agreement between the screening tool and the dietitian's assessment (kappa = 0.717) and inter-rater reliability was reasonable (mean kappa = 0.66).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The screening tool was valid and reliable in identifying medical patients at risk of malnutrition and was quick and simple to use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust, Lambeth Palace Road, SE1 7EH London, UK. elizabeth.weekes@gstt.sthames.nhs.uk
authors.forename: C Elizabeth
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Weekes
authors.forename: Marinos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elia
authors.forename: Peter W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Emery
mesh_terms: D001066:Appetite / Q000502:physiology; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology