The utility of bioelectrical impedance analysis to assess nutritional status of patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities.

Abstract

We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of the bioelectrical impedance analysis method in the nutritional assessment of patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities. Eighty patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities were included in the study, and the samples collected were biochemical and body composition data were obtained from regular blood samples and using the bioelectrical impedance analysis method. Nutritional status was scored from the biochemical data, and the subjects were divided into three groups: well-nourished, mildly malnourished, and moderately malnourished. The data that changed significantly with worsening nutritional status were serum albumin, total lymphocyte count, skeletal muscle ratio, phase angle, edema index, and body cell mass normalized by height. There were no significant differences in total lymphocyte count and body cell mass normalized by height between the groups. phase angle and edema index, which have been reported to be useful in nutritional assessment, responded sensitively to this nutritional score. Skeletal muscle ratio, which has been reported less frequently, has also been suggested to be useful in the nutritional assessment of severe motor and intellectual disabilities. Low skeletal muscle ratio, low phase angle, and high edema index were significantly suggestive of malnutrition in patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities, and correlated significantly with biochemical data, a conventional nutritional index. Therefore, bioelectrical impedance analysis is a useful method for nutritional assessment in patients with severe motor and intellectual disabilities.