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[Nutrition status on pediatric admissions in Spanish hospitals; DHOSPE study]

José Manuel Moreno Villares1, Vicente Varea Calderón, Carlos Bousoño García

  • 1Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, España. Jmoreno.hdoc@salud.madrid.org

Nutricion Hospitalaria
|July 16, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric malnutrition affects nearly 8% of hospitalized children, with higher rates of overweight-obesity. This nationwide study highlights the need for effective nutrition screening tools in pediatric care.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Clinical Malnutrition
  • Hospitalized Patients

Context:

  • Malnutrition in hospitalized patients leads to adverse outcomes, including impaired immunity and increased mortality.
  • Pediatric patients are at high risk of malnutrition during hospital stays.
  • Existing studies show varying rates of malnutrition in hospitalized children.

Purpose:

  • To determine the prevalence of malnutrition upon admission in pediatric patients nationwide.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of the Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in the Pediatric population (STAMP) in a real-world setting.

Summary:

  • A multicenter study in 32 Spanish hospitals included 991 pediatric patients under 17.
  • Prevalence of moderate to severe malnutrition was 7.8%, while overweight-obesity affected 37.9%.
  • Nutritional status correlated with disease type but not age or albumin levels.

Impact:

  • This is the first nationwide study on pediatric malnutrition prevalence at admission.
  • Findings suggest a prevalence of around 8%, slightly lower than other reports.
  • The study design reflects real-life conditions across various hospital types.
Abstract

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