Melinda White1, Karen Lawson2, Rebecca Ramsey3, Nicole Dennis4, Zoe Hutchinson5, Xin Ying Soh3, Misa Matsuyama6, Annabel Doolan7, Alwyn Todd8, Aoife Elliott7, Kristie Bell4, Robyn Littlewood4. 1. Department of Dietetics and Food Services, Royal Children's Hospital, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Herston, Queensland, Australia Melinda.White@health.qld.gov.au. 2. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Mater Children's Hospital, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 3. School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Nutrition and Dietetics Program, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia. 4. Department of Dietetics and Food Services, Royal Children's Hospital, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Herston, Queensland, Australia. 5. Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Nambour Hospital, Nambour, Queensland, Australia. 6. School of Public Health, Griffith University, Southport, Queensland, Australia. 7. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Mater Health Services, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. 8. Mater Health Services and Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia Raymond Terrace, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pediatric nutrition risk screening tools are not routinely implemented throughout many hospitals, despite prevalence studies demonstrating malnutrition is common in hospitalized children. Existing tools lack the simplicity of those used to assess nutrition risk in the adult population. This study reports the accuracy of a new, quick, and simple pediatric nutrition screening tool (PNST) designed to be used for pediatric inpatients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The pediatric Subjective Global Nutrition Assessment (SGNA) and anthropometric measures were used to develop and assess the validity of 4 simple nutrition screening questions comprising the PNST. Participants were pediatric inpatients in 2 tertiary pediatric hospitals and 1 regional hospital. RESULTS: Two affirmative answers to the PNST questions were found to maximize the specificity and sensitivity to the pediatric SGNA and body mass index (BMI) z scores for malnutrition in 295 patients. The PNST identified 37.6% of patients as being at nutrition risk, whereas the pediatric SGNA identified 34.2%. The sensitivity and specificity of the PNST compared with the pediatric SGNA were 77.8% and 82.1%, respectively. The sensitivity of the PNST at detecting patients with a BMI z score of less than -2 was 89.3%, and the specificity was 66.2%. Both the PNST and pediatric SGNA were relatively poor at detecting patients who were stunted or overweight, with the sensitivity and specificity being less than 69%. CONCLUSION: The PNST provides a sensitive, valid, and simpler alternative to existing pediatric nutrition screening tools such as Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Pediatrics (STAMP), Screening Tool Risk on Nutritional status and Growth (STRONGkids), and Paediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score (PYMS) to ensure the early detection of hospitalized children at nutrition risk.
BACKGROUND: Pediatric nutrition risk screening tools are not routinely implemented throughout many hospitals, despite prevalence studies demonstrating malnutrition is common in hospitalized children. Existing tools lack the simplicity of those used to assess nutrition risk in the adult population. This study reports the accuracy of a new, quick, and simple pediatric nutrition screening tool (PNST) designed to be used for pediatric inpatients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The pediatric Subjective Global Nutrition Assessment (SGNA) and anthropometric measures were used to develop and assess the validity of 4 simple nutrition screening questions comprising the PNST. Participants were pediatric inpatients in 2 tertiary pediatric hospitals and 1 regional hospital. RESULTS: Two affirmative answers to the PNST questions were found to maximize the specificity and sensitivity to the pediatric SGNA and body mass index (BMI) z scores for malnutrition in 295 patients. The PNST identified 37.6% of patients as being at nutrition risk, whereas the pediatric SGNA identified 34.2%. The sensitivity and specificity of the PNST compared with the pediatric SGNA were 77.8% and 82.1%, respectively. The sensitivity of the PNST at detecting patients with a BMI z score of less than -2 was 89.3%, and the specificity was 66.2%. Both the PNST and pediatric SGNA were relatively poor at detecting patients who were stunted or overweight, with the sensitivity and specificity being less than 69%. CONCLUSION: The PNST provides a sensitive, valid, and simpler alternative to existing pediatric nutrition screening tools such as Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Pediatrics (STAMP), Screening Tool Risk on Nutritional status and Growth (STRONGkids), and Paediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score (PYMS) to ensure the early detection of hospitalized children at nutrition risk.
Authors: Laura E Carter; Grace Shoyele; Sarah Southon; Anna Farmer; Rabin Persad; Vera C Mazurak; M Kim BrunetWood Journal: Nutr Clin Pract Date: 2019-07-09 Impact factor: 3.080
Authors: Hoda Atef; Rasha Abdel-Raouf; Ahmed S Zeid; Eman H Elsebaie; Shaimaa Abdalaleem; Aya A Amin; Hanna Aboulghar Journal: F1000Res Date: 2021-03-03