title: More training and awareness are needed to improve the recognition of undernutrition in hospitalised children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Reports suggest that 10% of hospitalised children in Europe are undernourished. We investigated whether nutritional screening tools (NST) were used in Belgian secondary-level hospitals, examined strategies for detecting undernutrition and identified barriers preventing the systematic management of undernutrition.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nationwide questionnaire-based survey of paediatric departments in Belgian secondary-level hospitals was carried out from September 2013 to February 2014. Respondents were dived into French-speaking (Walloon + Brussels) and Dutch-speaking (Flemish) departments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We received replies from 71 of the 97 (73.2%) departments. Half of the departments - 39.5% Flemish speaking and 71.4% Walloon speaking - carried out nutritional screening. Undernutrition was identified by measuring weight and length or height (92.7% of cases), clinical appraisal (74.7%), mid-upper arm circumference and/or skin fold thickness (19.7%). There was no protocol for undernutrition in many Flemish (60.5%)- and Walloon (28.6%)-speaking departments. Reasons given for not screening were as follows: lack of training (46.9%), ignorance of NST (42.2%) and lack of time (29.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Half of the paediatric departments in Belgian secondary-level hospitals did not carry out nutritional screening, and differences in current practices and attitudes may be due to cultural and/or educational differences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huysentruyt
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Metabolism Unit, Department of Paediatrics, University Children's Hospital Queen Fabiola, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Goyens
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Jessa Hospital, Hasselt, Belgium.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alliet
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Tivoli, La Louvière, Belgium.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bontems
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Sint-Maria Hospital, Halle, Belgium; for VVK (Vlaamse Vereniging voor Kindergeneeskunde).
authors.forename: Hilde
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Hautem
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, CHC - Espérance, Liège, Belgium; for GBPF (Groupement Belge des Pédiatres de Langue Française).
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Philippet
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Yvan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Vandenplas
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Schepper
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium; D002648:Child; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D058996:Quality Improvement; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Growth charts; Hospitalised children; Nutritional screening; STRONG
  kids; Undernourished