BODY MASS INDEX IS A POOR PREDICTOR OF MALNUTRITION IN HOSPITALIZED PATIENTS

Area of Science:

• Internal Medicine
• Nutritional Science
• Clinical Assessment

Background:

• Nutritional status is critical for patient outcomes in internal medicine.
• Accurate assessment of malnutrition is essential for effective patient management.
• Existing methods for nutritional assessment may have limitations in hospitalized populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and Body Mass Index (BMI) in determining nutritional status.
• To evaluate the prevalence of malnutrition in patients admitted to an Internal Medicine Service.
• To identify factors associated with malnutrition in this patient cohort.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, longitudinal, observational study involving 152 patients.
• Utilized Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and Body Mass Index (BMI) for nutritional assessment.
• Collected data on plasma albumin levels, functional capacity, weight, and income, with statistical analysis including chi-square tests, non-parametric tests, and logistic regression.

Main Results:

• 48.70% of the 152 patients exhibited malnutrition, with 34.2% having moderate and 14.5% severe malnutrition.
• No significant association was found between Subjective Global Assessment and Body Mass Index in determining nutritional status.
• Malnutrition was significantly associated with age over 60, male sex, oncologic and infectious diseases, and lower functional ability.

Conclusions:

• Subjective Global Assessment is a more suitable method than Body Mass Index for assessing malnutrition in hospitalized patients.
• Body Mass Index alone is insufficient for evaluating the impact of malnutrition in internal medicine settings.
• Clinical judgment and comprehensive assessment tools like SGA are vital for accurate nutritional diagnosis.