title: Evaluation of the effect of an intervention on the nutritional status of hospitalized patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the nutritional status of a population of hospitalized patients, divided into 2 different groups, both at admission and hospital discharge, and to assess the influence of nutritional alteration during the hospital stay.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quasi-experimental study comprising 2 groups of patients (N=581); an intervention group (n=303), in which nurses received specific training on managing care methodology, and a control group (n=278), in which nurses continued their usual dynamics. Each group was made up of 2 care units with patients from both surgical and medical specialties.
  
  
  METHODS
  patients admitted to the selected units with a minimum stay of 5 days. The sample selection was performed prospectively and consecutively after implementing the training.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 581 patients studied, 49.4% were women and 50.6% were men. Mean patient age was 68.29 (SD 16.23) years. In the intervention group, the odds ratio (OR) associated with good nutritional status was multiplied by 1.7 (OR=1.67) compared to the control group in the first evaluation and by 1.4 times (OR=1.43) at hospital discharge. The average stay in days was higher in the control group (13.71, SD 10.19) than in the intervention group (10.89, SD 7.49) (P<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The systematic methodology-based intervention in the chosen units was positive. Patients admitted to the intervention units had a lower nutritional alteration and a shorter hospital stay than those admitted to the control units.
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Enfermería La Fe, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, España. Electronic address: demiguel_@gva.es.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Miguel Montoya
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Salud Pública, Universidad Católica de Valencia, Valencia, España.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ortí Lucas
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Enfermería La Fe, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, España.
authors.forename: Esperanza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferrer Ferrándiz
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Área de Desigualdades en Salud, FISABIO, Valencia, España.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martín Baena
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Enfermería La Fe, Universidad de Valencia, Valencia, España.
authors.forename: Raimunda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Montejano Lozoya
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D044623:Nutrition Therapy / Q000451:nursing*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Evaluación nutricional; Hospitalized patients; Intervención enfermera; Nursing intervention; Nutritional assessment; Pacientes hospitalizados