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NCT Number: NCT02508974

Prevalence of Hospital Malnutrition in Adult Patients

Malnutrition of patients on admission to hospitals are estimated to be as high as 60%, although the prevalence varies between countries. The impact of malnutrition on patient recovery and discharge is severe, with extensive cost implications. This study aims to assess the prevalence of at risk for malnutrition among adult patients admitted to hospital across 3 countries on the African continent.

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Key information

Conditions

Malnutrition Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Tygerberg Hospital

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

About this study

The prevalence of malnutrition on admission to hospital varies between 15-60%. Knowing the extent of the problem and identifying at-risk patients should be a priority task since malnutrition is associated with increased hospital-related complications; longer length of stay, increased costs related to treatment and higher mortality. Post discharge, malnourished patients have also been linked to more frequent re-admissions, higher morbidity and mortality. Various screening tools are available, including the Nutrition Risk Screening-2002 recommended by European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism as the preferred screening tool for malnutrition in hospitals in Europe. ASPEN recommends a more comprehensive evaluation and diagnosis procedure. In South Africa, and the rest of Africa, nutritional screening is not routinely done and the investigators do not have any reliable national statistics indicating the extent of the problem. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of malnutrition on admission to hospital and to identify the impact thereof on relevant outcomes. Two different internationally recognised tools will be used and validated for the African context. In this multi-country, multi-centre descriptive cross-sectional study 3 hospitals in South Africa, 1 in Ghana and 2 in Kenya will be included. Adult patients (n=400 per hospital) will be screened on admission and at discharge and relevant outcomes (in-hospital and 3-month post-discharge) will be charted. A 50% sub-sample will be used to validate the 2 instruments.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • All patients older than 18 years of age
  • Males and females
  • Admitted to hospital within the past 48 hours
  • Conscious
  • Informed consent provided

Exclusion criteria

  • Paediatric patients younger than 18 years
  • Pregnant and lactating females
  • Patients admitted to ICU, burns or relevant acute care wards
  • Patients admitted to psychiatry or eating disorders units
  • Patients on dialysis

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in prevalence of risk for malnutrition during the period of hospitalization

    Time frame: Baseline; day 28

    Baseline (Admission) data will be gathered during to the first 48 hours after hospital admission. Discharge data (Day 28) is collected on day of actual discharge or on day 28 of hospitalization if patient is staying in hospital longer than that. A NRS-2002 score greater than 3 indicates risk for malnutrition.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Association between risk for malnutrition and in-hospital and post-discharge nutritional / medical indicators

    Time frame: Baseline; day 28 and Day 90

    Baseline (Admission) data will be gathered during to the first 48 hours after hospital admission. Discharge data (Day 28) is collected on day of actual discharge or on day 28 of hospitalization if patient is staying in hospital longer than that. Post discharge data will be gathered 3 months after hospital discharge i.e. day 90 (again within a 48 hour period). Nutritional indications refer to weight changes (gain or loss) and changes in appetite (improved, no change or decreased). Medical indicators refer to nr of new complications requiring medical treatment, mortality or re-hospital admission.A NRS-2002 score greater than 3 indicates risk for malnutrition.

  2. Number of patients obtaining similar screening scores as a measure of relative validity of the different screening tools used against each other

    Time frame: Baseline and day 28

    Baseline (Admission) data will be gathered during to the first 48 hours after hospital admission. Discharge data (Day 28) is collected on day of actual discharge or on day 28 of hospitalization if patient is staying in hospital longer than that. A good validity will be indicated by a sensitivity and specificity of more than 80%.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Stellenbosch

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Prevalence and Impact of Hospital Malnutrition on Associated Outcomes

Important dates

Study start
2015
Primary completion
2017
Study completion
2017
First posted
Jul 27, 2015
Registry last updated
Jun 1, 2018

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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