Prevalence of Malnutrition among Iranian Pediatric Patients before and After Hospitalization (۲۰۱۵ To ۲۰۱۷): A Multicenter Study

Background: Malnutrition undermines the beneficial outcomes of clinical interventions and also increases hospital costs. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition through a multicenter observational study at the time of admission and discharge in Iranian hospitalized children and adolescents. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was performed on children and adolescents aged one month to ۱۸ years from three Iranian public tertiary pediatric hospitals located in different cities of Iran. To determine the participants’ nutritional status, Z-score of the weight for height (for those with ۱month to ۵years of age) and Z-score of BMI (for ≥۵ to ۱۸-year-old patients) were calculated using the WHO growth standards. Data were analyzed using SPSS version ۲۳. Results: Information about ۱۴۹۹ patients was collected. At the time of admission, ۶۴% of the participants had a good nutritional status, ۱۵.۵% were at high risk of wasting, ۸.۴% were wasted, and ۱۲.۱% were severely wasted. Among ۲۹۵ malnourished patients, the nutritional status of ۱۸۲ patients (۶۳%) had been improved at the time of discharge. Also, ۲۳% of all subjects with normal nutritional status at the admission time (۸۵ participants), were at risk of malnutrition at discharge. The prevalence of moderate and severe malnutrition at the discharge time was about ۲۰%. Conclusion: More than one-third of the hospitalized children had moderate or severe malnutrition or were at high risk. Although the prevalence of malnutrition decreased somewhat during hospitalization, some children were not malnourished at the time of admission and were malnourished at discharge.

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Keywords: Malnutrition , Children , Adolescents , Infant , Hospital malnutrition