title: Use of 10-point analogue scales to estimate dietary intake: a prospective study in patients nutritionally at-risk.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessment of dietary intake using a 3-day dietary record may delay the management of undernutrition. Methods allowing a quick estimation of dietary intake are needed. We aimed to determine the feasibility of assessing dietary intake using two 10-point verbal (AVeS) and visual (AViS) analogue scales, to assess the correlations of both scales with energy intake, and to determine the accuracy of AVeS for assessing undernutrition.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively recruited 114 patients undernourished or nutritionally at-risk in two French University Hospitals. Undernutrition was defined as a Nutritional Risk Index <97.5. AVeS and AViS were performed by one interviewer and mean daily energy intake was calculated from 3-day dietary records by one dietician.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The feasibility of AVeS and AViS was 98% and 96%, respectively. Both verbal and visual scales were statistically correlated with calculated energy intake (rho=0.66 and rho=0.74, P<0.0001), especially in undernourished patients (rho=0.82, P<0.0001, for AVeS). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of an AVeS score less than 7 for assessing undernutrition were 57%, 81%, 86% and 46%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  AVeS and AViS could be used for a quick assessment of dietary intake in clinical practice, particularly in undernourished in-patients. Thus, both verbal and visual analogue scales could be particularly useful for the management of hospital undernutrition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutritional Support, CHU Nantes, Nantes, F-44093, France.
authors.forename: Ronan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thibault
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goujon
authors.forename: Estelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Le Gallic
authors.forename: Renaud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Clairand
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sébille
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vibert
authors.forename: Stéphane M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Darmaun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004032:Diet / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004435:Eating; D002149:Energy Intake; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult