Paediatric oncology patient preference for oral nutritional supplements in a clinical setting

Oral nutrition supplements are commonly used to increase the nutrient intake of children who are undergoing treatment for cancer. However, little research has been conducted systematically examining preferences for oral supplements in this population. This study aims to address a gap in the literature by examining taste preferences of oral nutrition supplements routinely recommended for children undergoing treatment for cancer.

Twenty-one children undergoing treatment for cancer and 38 healthy control subjects participated in an acute double-blinded feeding trial. A variety of energy drinks, available both commercially and in the hospital, were sampled. Patients rated the taste of the drinks on a 10-cm coloured analogue scale.

A commercially-based drink (Moove™) rated the highest in the blinded and branded tests for the treatment (mean rating out of 10, 6.44±2.69 and 7.26±2.33, respectively) and control groups (mean rating, 7.61±1.91 and 7.70±2.32, respectively). Taste ratings were significantly higher for commercially available supplements over the hospital-prepared supplements, (p=0.041), with no main effect for tasting condition (i.e. blinded versus branded, p=0.902). There was a statistically significant trend such that ratings, when the brand that was known decreased for hospital supplements, while ratings for commercially available supplements increased (p=0.014).

Fresh milk-based supplements were the preferred type of oral nutrition supplement in a cohort of paediatric oncology patients. The data also suggest that commercially available products are more likely to be accepted than hospital-prepared supplements. This pilot study supports the need for further research in the area of oral nutrition supplements for paediatric oncology patients as a way of determining a reliable way to estimate preferences and therefore maximise compliance. Results from this research could be also used as the basis for designing research to study the effects of flavour fatigue and long-term compliance with oral nutrition supplements in this population.