Acute malnutrition is associated with the high nutritional risk obtained by STRONGkids in children and adolescents with infectious diseases

Francisca Maria Da Silva,Maria Luisa Pereira De Melo,Alexandre Danton Viana Pinheiro,Ribanna Aparecida Marques Braga,Carla Soraya Costa Maia,Kaluce Gonçalves De Sousa Almondes,Francisca Isabelle Da Silva E Sousa

doi:10.33448/rsd-v10i11.19859

Francisca Maria Da Silva, Maria Luisa Pereira De Melo + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v10i11.19859

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Abstract

Objective: In this study, we aim to evaluate whether the presence of malnutrition in children and adolescents with infectious diseases is associated with high nutritional risk obtained by the STRONGkids instrument. Methods: A cross-sectional study comprising 237 hospitalized patients aged between 30 days and 18 years. Identification and diagnosis data, weight and height were collected. STRONGkids determined nutritional risk. Acute malnutrition was classified by BMI/age Z score < - 2 and chronic by Height/age Z score < - 2. Associations between categorical variables were verified using Pearson's chi-square test. A logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association between anthropometric parameters of malnutrition and nutritional risk. It was considered significant p< 0,05. Results: In multiple analysis, it was observed that having malnutrition as of BMI/age increases the chance by 5.68 of having high nutritional risk by the STRONGKids instrument, regardless of age, sex and the presence of poverty-related infectious diseases (OR: 5.68; 95% CI: 1.54-20.93; p=0.009). Conclusion: In summary, for patients with infectious diseases, acute malnutrition (BMI/age) is associated directly with the diagnosis of high nutritional risk by STRONGkids.

Highlights

Child malnutrition, especially severe acute malnutrition, is a contributing factor to mortality in children under five years since malnutrition is associated with an increased risk of common childhood diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria (World Health Organization, 2019)
Infectious diseases common in childhood are more frequent in malnourished children, highlighting the synergistic relationship between these factors (Pooja et al, 2019), which impact the high prevalence of malnutrition and the high mortality rates in pediatric patients with infectious diseases, such as HIV and tuberculosis Hussien et al (2019); Nalwang et al (2020)
It was observed that most individuals were eutrophic (70.5%) and, in addition, acute malnutrition obtained by body mass index for age (BMI/age) was more prevalent in the group with high nutritional risk (81.8%), while overweight had a higher percentage in the medium nutritional risk, 64.2% (p

Summary

Introduction

Especially severe acute malnutrition, is a contributing factor to mortality in children under five years since malnutrition is associated with an increased risk of common childhood diseases such as pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria (World Health Organization, 2019). It is noteworthy that despite the reduction in morbidity and mortality by infectious and parasitic diseases, these persist in the Brazilian scenario De Souza et al (2020). They are associated with worse living conditions of the population, as is this case of infectious diseases of poverty (IDoP), which comprise the neglected tropical diseases Harris et al (2012). It is essential to assess nutritional status and nutritional risk at hospital admission, so that dietary interventions can be performed early on patients at risk of malnutrition Moreno et al (2019); Beser et al (2018)

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