Prevalence and assessment of malnutrition risk among hospitalized children in Romania.
Malnutrition is a prevalent condition in hospitalized children. Our aims were to evaluate the nutritional state and to validate the STRONGkids risk assessment tool in a hospitalized paediatric population in Romania. This is a prospective single-centre study in a tertiary teaching hospital in Romania (May 2011-January 2012). We calculated the STRONGkids score and measured the children's height and weight. Standard deviation < -2 for weight-for-height and height-for-age was considered to indicate acute or chronic malnutrition respectively. Two hundred seventy-one children were included, with median age of 5.2 years and median hospital stay of 2.01 days. Prevalence of malnutrition and severe malnutrition was 37% and 15% respectively. Using the STRONGkids screening tool, 58% of the children were found at risk of malnutrition (24% were at high risk). The kappa coefficient of agreement between STRONGkids and WHO malnutrition classification was 0.61. When a low serum protein level was used in upgrading STRONGkids risk category, kappa increased significantly to 0.71 (p = 0.001). A modified STRONGkids score, incorporating total serum protein levels, performs well in predicting malnutrition in hospitalized paediatric population in Romania.
Oana
O
Mărginean
Ana Maria
AM
Pitea
Septimiu
S
Voidăzan
Claudiu
C
Mărginean
D000293:Adolescent; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D001798:Blood Proteins