Prevalence of malnutrition risk and its association with mortality: nutritionDay Latin America survey results

The Importance of Nutrition in Cancer Care: A Narrative Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cancer, a complex disease affecting millions globally, presents considerable challenges for both patients and health care providers. Within the broad spectrum of cancer care, nutrition plays a key role in supporting patients throughout their journey. This narrative review examines the role of nutrition in cancer care, exploring its impact on treatment outcomes, nutritional status, current dietary recommendations, physical activity, palliative care, and finally, as a nutritional encouragement for cancer survivors.

RECENT FINDINGS

Evidence indicates that cancer and anticancer treatments frequently cause malnutrition and loss of muscle mass, which can exacerbate symptoms, impair immune function, and hamper recovery. Therefore, adequate nutritional support is crucial for maintaining strength, controlling symptoms, and optimizing treatment tolerance in patients with cancer. Several factors influence nutritional needs and dietary recommendations, including cancer type, treatment, and individual patient characteristics. Nutritional care aims not only to ensure sufficient energy and protein intake, but also to manage specific symptoms such as dysgeusia, nausea, and dysphagia. Registered dietitians play a crucial role in providing personalized nutritional guidance, monitoring nutritional status, and implementing interventions to address emerging challenges in cancer care. Furthermore, recent research has underscored the benefits of dietary interventions in cancer treatment. From targeted nutritional supplements to more invasive nutritional support, interest in how nutrition can affect cancer risk and treatment outcomes is increasing. Overall, this review highlights the critical role of nutritional care in comprehensive cancer treatment. By recognizing and meeting dietary demands throughout the entire cancer journey, health care professionals can improve patients' well-being, response to treatment, and long-term prognosis.

Effect of malnutrition at admission on length of hospital stay among adult surgical patients in Wolaita Sodo University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, South Ethiopia: prospective cohort study

Background

Malnutrition in hospitalized patients remains a major public health problem in both developed and developing countries. Even though malnourished patients are more prone to stay longer in hospital, there is limited data regarding the magnitude of malnutrition and its effect on length of stay among surgical in patients in Ethiopia while nutritional assessment is also often a neglected component of the health service practice.

Objective

This study aims to assess the prevalence of malnutrition at admission and its effect on the length of hospital stay among adult surgical patients in Wolaita Sodo University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, South Ethiopia, 2022.

Methods

A facility-based prospective cohort study was conducted among 398 admitted surgical adult patients. Participants in the study were chosen using a convenient sampling technique. Subjective global assessment was used to determine the nutritional status of patients with a minimum stay of 24 h within 48 h after admission (SGA). Data were collected by open data kit (ODK) version 2022.3.3 software while Stata version 14.1 software was employed for statistical analysis. Cox regression model was used to determine the effect of malnutrition on the length of hospital stay (LOS) after adjusted for several potential confounders taken at admission. Adjusted hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval was used to show the effect of malnutrition.

Results

The prevalence of hospital malnutrition at admission was 64.32% (95% CI: 59-69%) according to subjective global assessment (SGA) classification. Adult surgical patients who were malnourished at admission had higher median LOS (12 days: 95% CI: 11-13) as compared to well-nourished patients (8 days: 95% CI: 8-9), which means adult surgical patients who were malnourished at admission were at a higher risk of reduced chance of discharge with improvement (prolonged LOS) (AHR: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.29-0.47) as compared to well-nourished patients. The presence of comorbidity (AHR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.50-90), poly medication (AHR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.55-0.86), and history of admission (AHR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.55-0.87) within the previous 5 years were found to be the significant covariates of LOS.

Conclusion

The magnitude of hospital malnutrition at admission was found to be high. Malnourished patients at admission had a higher risk of prolonged length of hospital stay as compared to well-nourished patients. The presence of comorbidity, poly medication, and history of admission were found to be the significant covariates of LOS. All stakeholders should pay attention to reducing the magnitude of malnutrition and its covariates to improve the burden of LOS.

Efficiency of a technology-assisted nutritional screening system: A retrospective analysis of 11,722 admissions in a tertiary hospital

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Nutritional screening is essential for addressing malnutrition and its consequences. However, routine implementation in large hospitals faces several challenges. To overcome these obstacles, the Clinical Nutrition Service of a tertiary hospital developed a technology-assisted nutritional screening system. This study evaluates the system's efficiency in detecting and assessing patients at nutritional risk upon hospital admission. It also examines the association between nutritional risk, clinical outcomes, and sociodemographic characteristics.

METHODS

This retrospective, analytical, observational study examined 11,722 hospital admissions of adult patients in 2019, each with a minimum hospital stay of 48 hours (h) in a tertiary hospital. Rates and timing for the detection, referral, and assessment of patients at nutritional risk were calculated. Participants were divided into low (Malnutrition Screening Tool [MST] < 2 points) and moderate/high (MST ≥2) nutritional risk groups to evaluate the relationship between nutritional risk and clinical and demographic variables.

RESULTS

We found that 91% of patients underwent nutritional screening within the first hours of admission, with a median time of 9 h from admission to screening (interquartile range [IQR] 3-19). The prevalence of nutritional risk (MST ≥2) was 21%. All patients identified as being at nutritional risk were immediately referred for a nutritional assessment once identified, with a median referral time of 0 h (IQR 0-0). This assessment was carried out by a nutritionist for 98% of these patients, with a median time of 19 h from referral to assessment (IQR 6-24). Compared to the low-risk group, patients with nutritional risk were older, had higher rates of mortality and admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), longer hospital stays, and a higher proportion of men and cancer diagnoses (p< 0.001 for all comparisons). After adjusting for age and sex, nutritional risk was significantly associated with a higher probability of ICU admission (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.13; 95% CI 1.02-1.24) and in-hospital mortality (OR 2.32; 95% CI 1.97-2.73).

CONCLUSION

The integration of technology into nutritional screening was highly efficient for early detection and assessment of at-risk patients upon hospital admission. Features of this system could guide other hospitals. The association found between nutritional risk and clinical outcomes emphasizes the importance of prompt and appropriate nutritional interventions.

GLIM Achieves Best Diagnostic Performance in Non-Cancer Patients with Low BMI: A Hierarchical Bayesian Latent-Class Meta-Analysis

CONTEXT

Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) and Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) are commonly used nutrition assessment tools, whose performance does not reach a consensus due to different and imperfect reference standards.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the diagnostic accuracy of GLIM and PG-SGA, using a hierarchical Bayesian latent class model, in the absence of a gold standard.

DATA SOURCES

A systematic search was undertaken in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science from inception to October 2022. Diagnostic test studies comparing (1) the GLIM and/or (2) PG-SGA with "semi-gold" standard assessment tools for malnutrition were included.

DATA EXTRACTION

Two authors independently extracted data on sensitivity, specificity, and other key characteristics. The methodological quality of each included study was appraised according to the criteria in the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2.

DATA ANALYSIS

A total of 45 studies, comprising 20 876 individuals evaluated for GLIM and 11 575 for PG-SGA, were included. The pooled sensitivity was 0.833 (95% CI 0.744 to 0.896) for GLIM and 0.874 (0.797 to 0.925) for PG-SGA, while the pooled specificity was 0.837 (0.780 to 0.882) for GLIM and 0.778 (0.707 to 0.836) for PG-SGA. GLIM showed slightly better performance than PG-SGA, with a higher diagnostic odds ratio (25.791 vs 24.396). The diagnostic performance of GLIM was most effective in non-cancer patients with an average body mass index (BMI) of <24 kg/m2, followed by non-cancer patients with an average age of ≥60 years. PG-SGA was most powerful in cancer patients with an average age of <60 years, followed by cancer patients with an average BMI of <24 kg/m2.

CONCLUSION

Both GLIM and PG-SGA had moderately high diagnostic capabilities. GLIM was most effective in non-cancer patients with a low BMI, while PG-SGA was more applicable in cancer patients.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration No. CRD42022380409.

Parenteral nutrition consensus report from KEPAN

OBJECTIVES

Medical nutrition therapy is one of the core components of patient management, although its implication is still limited in Daily practice globally. Clinicians are in need of guidance that will ease the application of medical nutrition therapy. The pre- and post-graduate curriculum for medical nutrition therapy is limited in most regions, worldwide. A report that is short, clear, and having clear-cut recommendations that will guide the primary healthcare professionals in indications, choice, practical application, follow-up, and stopping parenteral nutrition (PN) would facilitate the application and success of medical nutrition therapy. KEPAN is the Clinical Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition Society of Turkey and is an active member of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN).

METHOD

In this study, we present the KEPAN PN consensus report on optimal PN use in medical nutrition therapy as outlined by the works of academicians experienced in the clinical application of PN (nine working group academicians and 10 expert group academicians).

RESULTS

This report provides 22 clear-cut recommendations in a question-answer format.

CONCLUSIONS

We believe that this report could have a significant impact on the optimum use of PN in the context of medical nutrition therapy when clinicians manage everyday patients.

Clinical practice guidelines for the nutrition of colorectal cancer patients: a systematic review

PURPOSE

The aim of this study is to rigorously assess the methodological quality of published clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) related to nutrition among colorectal cancer patients, to compile consensus recommendations, and to evaluate the quality of the included CPGs.

METHODS

The systematic search covered eight electronic databases, two relevant professional association websites, and six guideline websites from their inception up to January 22, 2023. The methodological quality of the eligible guidelines was evaluated using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument, and then, consensus recommendations were synthesized. The scores for each domain were expressed as the mean ± standard deviation (SD). Using the mean score as the benchmark for comparison, they were subsequently ranked from highest to lowest. The included guidelines were then categorized as having "high," "moderate," or "low" quality based on their scores.

RESULTS

The literature search yielded ten guidelines. The findings indicated that the "Clarity of presentation" domain had the highest mean score (65.2 ± 7.7). This demonstrates how the guidelines effectively articulate recommendations. Additionally, the "Scope and purpose" domain achieved a mean score of 60.7 ± 10.9, followed by "Rigor of development" (51.7 ± 15.7), "Editorial independence" (51.1 ± 21), "Stakeholder involvement" (48 ± 16.8), and "Applicability" domains (47.5 ± 17.3). Two CPGs received an overall rating of "high quality" and were recommended; four CPGs received an overall rating of "moderate" and were recommended with modifications; and four CPGs received an overall rating of "low quality" and were not recommended. Furthermore, this study compiled twenty consensus recommendations related to nine distinct clinical issues.

CONCLUSION

This study identified disparities in the methodological quality of the included CPGs, particularly in the "Applicability" domain, thus emphasizing the need for advancement in clinical feasibility and implementation. Notably, there is few guidelines specifically targeting colorectal cancer nutrition. These synthesized findings provided an intuitive, convenient, and comprehensive reference for evaluating nutrition among colorectal cancer patients. When applying these results, users should make careful decisions based on their specific situations.

Prevalence of the use of oral nutritional supplements among acute inpatients at risk of malnutrition and associated patient characteristics

AIM

To provide a snapshot of the current use of oral nutritional supplements, its association with inpatient characteristics, and with a focus on the role of nursing monitoring of food intake and implementing nutritional interventions for patients with low intake.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

The study collected data from a hospital database regarding oral nutritional supplement initiation and variables of patients hospitalised in internal medicine departments, who did not receive enteral or parenteral nutrition.

RESULTS

Of the 5155 admissions, 1087 fulfilled the inclusion criteria (47% female; mean age, 72.4 ± 14.6 years; mean length of stay, 14.6 ± 11.4 days). Sufficient food intake reporting was noted in 74.6% of the patients; of these 17% had decreased intake. Oral nutritional supplements and non-oral nutritional supplements groups did not differ in terms of sex, age, length of stay, Charlson Comorbidity Index, proportion of nursing reports, and absence of intake monitoring. Oral nutritional supplements were initiated in 31.9% of patients with a Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool score ≥2 and in 34.6% with decreased food intake. On multivariable analysis, hypoalbuminemia (adjusted odds ratio, 3.70), decreased food intake (adjusted odds ratio, 3.38), Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool score ≥2 (adjusted odds ratio, 2.10), and age <70 years (adjusted odds ratio, 1.56) were significantly associated with oral nutritional supplements use.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of oral nutritional intervention was suboptimal in patients at risk of malnutrition during acute hospitalisation, although decreased food intake and Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool score ≥2 independently increased the probability of oral nutritional supplements initiation.

RELEVANCE IN CLINICAL PRACTICE

Understanding the clinical practice and nursing impact of care management in relation to nutritional intervention can assist in reviewing and improving patient care. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE IMPACT (ADDRESSING): This study informs clinical management and influences nursing practice standards related to assessing, monitoring, and managing malnutrition risk.

IMPACT

The study impacts the quality of care for patients at risk of malnutrition.

REPORTING METHOD

We adhered to the STROBE Checklist for cohort studies.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No Patient or Public Contribution.

Enteral nutrition consensus report from KEPAN: Indications, choice, practical application, and follow-up

OBJECTIVES

Clinicians are in need of guidance that will ease the application of medical nutrition therapy. In order to facilitate the application and success of medical nutrition therapy, the Turkish Clinical Enteral & Parenteral Nutrition Society (KEPAN) planned a report that is short, is clear, and has clear-cut recommendations that will guide health care professionals in the indications, choice, practical application, follow-up, and stopping of enteral nutrition.

METHODS

The enteral nutrition consensus report on enteral nutrition use in medical nutrition therapy was developed by a study group (12 working group academicians and 17 expert group academicians) under the organization of KEPAN. The enteral nutrition consensus report was generated in 5 online and face-to-face phases from December 2019 through October 2022. At the end (Delphi rounds), a total of 24 questions and subjects, recommendations, and comments were sent to the enteral nutrition working group and the expert group via e-mail. They were asked to score the criteria by using the Likert scale.

RESULTS

The first round of the study resulted in acceptance of all 24 recommendations. None of the criteria was rejected. Only some minor editing for wording was recommended by the panelists during the first and second rounds of the Delphi study. The final report was sent to all 29 panelists and was approved without any revision suggestions.

CONCLUSION

This report provides 24 clear-cut recommendations in a question-answer format. We believe that this report could have a significant effect on the optimum use of enteral nutrition in the context of medical nutrition therapy when clinicians manage everyday patients.

Canadian Nutrition Society Dialogue on disease-related malnutrition: a commentary from the 2022 Food For Health Workshop

This commentary represents a dialogue on key aspects of disease-related malnutrition (DRM) from leaders and experts from academia, health across disciplines, and several countries across the world. The dialogue illuminates the problem of DRM, what impact it has on outcomes, nutrition care as a human right, and practice, implementation, and policy approaches to address DRM. The dialogue allowed the germination of an idea to register a commitment through the Canadian Nutrition Society and the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force in the UN/WHO Decade of Action on Nutrition to advance policy-based approaches for DRM. This commitment was successfully registered in October 2022 and is entitled CAN DReaM (Creating Alliances Nationally for Policy in Disease-Related Malnutrition). This commitment details five goals that will be pursued in the Decade of Action on Nutrition. The intent of this commentary is to record the proceedings of the workshop as a stepping stone to establishing a policy-based approach to DRM that is relevant in Canada and abroad.

Advances in nutritional supplementation for sarcopenia management

Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by a decline in muscular mass, strength, and function with advancing age. The risk of falls, fragility, hospitalization, and death is considerably increased in the senior population due to sarcopenia. Although there is no conclusive evidence for drug treatment, resistance training has been unanimously recognized as a first-line treatment for managing sarcopenia, and numerous studies have also pointed to the combination of nutritional supplementation and resistance training as a more effective intervention to improve quality of life for people with sarcopenia. People with both malnutrition and sarcopenia have a higher mortality rate, so identifying people at risk of malnutrition and intervening early is extremely important to avoid sarcopenia and its associated problems. This article provides important information for dietary interventions in sarcopenia by summarizing the discoveries and developments of nutritional supplements such as protein, leucine, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyric acid, vitamin D, vitamin C, vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, creatine, inorganic nitrate, probiotics, minerals, collagen peptides, and polyphenols in the management of sarcopenia.

Optimal use of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) in medical nutrition therapy: ONS consensus report from KEPAN

Medical nutrition therapy is one of the core components of the patient management, although its implication is still limited in daily practice globally. Clinicians are in need of guidance that will ease the application of medical nutrition therapy. The first treatment choice in medical nutrition therapy is the use of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) after or concomitant with dietary interventions. The pre and post-graduate curriculum for medical nutrition therapy is limited in most regions, worldwide. A report that is short, clear, and having clear-cut recommendations that will guide the primary healthcare professionals in indications, choice, practical application, follow-up, and stopping ONS would facilitate the application and success of medical nutrition therapy. KEPAN is the Clinical Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition Society of Turkey and is an active member of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN). In this study, we present the KEPAN ONS consensus report on optimal ONS use in medical nutrition therapy as outlined by works of academicians experienced in clinical application of ONS (eight working group academicians and 19 expert group academicians). This report provides 22 clear-cut recommendations in a question-answer format. We believe that this report could have a significant impact in the ideal use of ONS in the context of medical nutrition therapy when clinicians manage everyday patients.

[Development of an advanced practice nurse (APN) role for nutrition management: A needs assessment using a mixed methods approach]

Development of an advanced practice nurse (APN) role for nutrition management: A needs assessment using a mixed methods approach Abstract. Background: Nurses are attributed to play a key role in nutrition management. This field has emerged to be a subject of advanced nursing practice. Aim: Conducting a needs assessment on the role profile of an advanced practice nurse (APN) in nutrition management according to the PEPPA framework. Methods: Mixed methods design. In a cross-sectional study on the current practice, the diagnostic accuracy of nurses' nutrition screening using Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS 2002) compared with independent assessment by a nutrition expert using NRS 2022 was examined. In case of a positive screening result, reasons were determined using an in-depth assessment. In addition, semi-structured, guideline-based interviews were conducted and content-analysed. Results: The identification of patients at risk by nurses' nutrition screening showed a need for improvement (sensitivity: 56%, specificity: 96%; n = 195). Commonly identified reasons for (risk of) malnutrition (n = 51) were lack of desire to eat/lack of appetite or increased caloric needs due to illness. Development opportunities and expectations for an APN were specified based on the interviews (n = 20). They refer to skill enhancement, support within the interprofessional team in complex treatment cases and a stronger nursing role in nutrition management. Conclusions: Based on the needs assessment, the APN's areas of responsibility were identified and assigned to the Hamric model, and implementation strategies could be derived.

Temporal and periorbital depressions identified by 3D images are correlated with malnutrition phenotypes in cancer patients: A pilot study

Background

Prompt diagnosis of malnutrition and appropriate interventions can substantially improve the prognosis of patients with cancer; however, it is difficult to unify the tools for screening malnutrition risk. 3D imaging technology has been emerging as an approach to assisting in the diagnosis of diseases, and we designed this study to explore its application value in identifying the malnutrition phenotype and evaluating nutrition status.

Methods

Hospitalized patients treating with maintenance chemotherapy for advanced malignant tumor of digestive system were recruited from the Department of Oncology, whose NRS 2002 score &gt; 3. Physical examination and body composition data of patients at risk for malnutrition were analyzed by physicians trained to complete a subjective global assessment. The facial depression index was recognized using the Antera 3D® system, temporal and periorbital depression indexes were acquired using the companion software Antera Pro. This software captures quantitative data of depression volume, affected area, and maximum depth of temporal and periorbital concave areas.

Results

A total of 53 inpatients with malnutrition-related indicators were included. The volume of temporal depression was significantly negatively correlated with upper arm circumference (r = −0.293, p = 0.033) and calf circumference (r = −0.285, p = 0.038). The volume and affected area of periorbital depression were significantly negatively correlated with fat mass index (r = −0.273, p = 0.048 and r = −0.304, p = 0.026, respectively) and percent body fat (r = −0.317, p = 0.021 and r = −0.364, p = 0.007, respectively). The volume and affected area of temporal depression in patients with muscle loss phenotype (low arm circumference/low calf circumference/low handgrip strength/low fat-free mass index) were significantly higher than those in patients without muscle loss. Moreover, patients with fat mass loss phenotype (low fat mass index) showed a significant increase in the volume and affected area of periorbital depression.

Conclusion

The facial temporal region, and periorbital depression indicators extracted by 3D image recognition technology were significantly associated with the phenotype of malnutrition-related muscle and fat loss and showed a trend of grade changes in the population of different subjective global assessment nutritional classifications.

The effect of urinary essential and non-essential elements on serum albumin: Evidence from a community-based study of the elderly in Beijing

Background & aims

Few epidemiological studies have investigated the relationships of urinary essential and non-essential elements with serum albumin, an indicator of nutritional status, especially for the elderly in China.

Methods

A community-based study among elderly participants (n = 275) was conducted in Beijing from November to December 2016. We measured 15 urinary elements concentrations and serum albumin levels. Three statistical methods including the generalized linear model (GLM), quantile g-computation model (qgcomp) and bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were adapted.

Results

In GLM analysis, we observed decreased serum albumin levels associated with elevated urinary concentrations of aluminum, arsenic, barium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, selenium, strontium, and zinc. Compared with the lowest tertile, the highest tertile of cadmium and cesium was also negatively associated with serum albumin. Urinary selenium concentration had the most significant negative contribution (30.05%) in the qgcomp analysis. The negative correlations of element mixtures with serum albumin were also observed in BKMR analysis.

Conclusions

Our findings suggested the negative associations of essential and non-essential elements with serum albumin among the elderly. Large-scare cohort studies among the general population are required to validate our findings and elucidate the relevant underlying mechanisms.

Malnutrition in Hospitalized Old Patients: Screening and Diagnosis, Clinical Outcomes, and Management

Malnutrition in hospitalized patients heavily affects several clinical outcomes. The prevalence of malnutrition increases with age, comorbidities, and intensity of care in up to 90% of old populations. However, malnutrition frequently remains underdiagnosed and undertreated in the hospital. Thus, an accurate screening to identify patients at risk of malnutrition or malnourishment is determinant to elaborate a personal nutritional intervention. Several definitions of malnutrition were proposed in the last years, affecting the real frequency of nutritional disorders and the timing of intervention. Diagnosis of malnutrition needs a complete nutritional assessment, which is often challenging to perform during a hospital stay. For this purpose, various screening tools were proposed, allowing patients to be stratified according to the risk of malnutrition. The present review aims to summarize the actual evidence in terms of diagnosis, association with clinical outcomes, and management of malnutrition in a hospital setting.

Can hospitalized patients adequately estimate their own food intake? A cross-sectional pilot study

ABSTRACT Objective To assess and identify factors linked to the accuracy of patients’ food intake estimations through a self-monitoring instrument filled in by the patient. Methods This cross-sectional study approached adult hospital patients subjected to regular or therapeutic diets. The actual food intake percentage was obtained by the ratio between the actual food intake and the amount of food served x 100. Patients had to complete a food chart including 9 circles representing plates of food in percentages (increasing scale of 12.5%) to represent their food intake at lunch and/or dinner. The Bland-Altman method assessed the agreement between the actual and the estimated values. The associations between variables (age, sex, hospitalization day, diet prescription, amount of food served and actual food intake percentage) and the accuracy of the food intake estimation (adequate ±10%, overestimated and underestimated) were evaluated through univariate multinomial logistic regression. Results Ninety-six patients were evaluated (51.0% male; 44.0±15.8 years of age). The Bland-Altman analysis showed good agreement between the actual and the estimated food intake. The actual food intake percentage was the only variable associated with the accuracy of the food intake estimation. Conclusion Most patients (~70%) adequately estimated their food intake using the 9-point food chart tested. Furthermore, the only factor linked to the accuracy of the food intake estimation was the actual food-intake percentage. These findings provide preliminary support for the usefulness of this instrument. However, it must be tested in a representative sample of hospitalized patients.