ESPEN 2021 Late Breaking Abstracts

Topic: Nutritional assessment

Abstract Submission Identifier: ESPEN21-LB-2011

USE OF THE PEDIATRIC YORKHILL MALNUTRITION SCORE SCREENING TOOL IN DETERMINING THE MALNUTRITION RISK OF HOSPITALIZED CHILDREN

A. Manisalı ¹, E. Manisali^*, ², F. ÇELİK ², A. Doğan Demir ³, G. Doğan ³

¹İstanbul Bilgi University, ²Biruni University, ³Bezmialem Vakıf University, İstanbul, Türkiye

Rationale: This study aims to use the Pediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score (PYMS), which is a nutritional screening tool, in determining the malnutrition risk, which is very important to hospitalized children.

Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was carried out in 128 pediatric patients aged between 13-200 months in different clinics in Bezmialem Vakıf University Medical Faculty Hospital. Participants' demographic information, anthropometric measurements (body weight, height, upper-middle arm circumference), food frequency questionnaire, and PYMS tool were administered. Z-scores were calculated for malnutrition assessment based on anthropometric measurements and compared with the frequency of food consumption and PYMS result.

Results: According to the PYMS results of the hospitalized children included in the study, a low risk of malnutrition was found in 29.7%, moderate in 15.6%, and high in 54.8%. A correlation was found between the PYMS result and anthropometric measurement z-scores. In addition, it has been shown that there are statistically significant differences between weight for age, BMI z-scores for age, and PYMS result and that especially the comparison can be associated with severe malnutrition determined in terms of BMI for age z-score. On the other hand, the frequency of consumption of protein-rich foods and refined carbohydrates was found to be effective on PYMS results.

Conclusion: Hospitalized children are at high risk of malnutrition associated with malnutrition. Significant differences and relationships were found between the PYMS tool and anthropometric measurements. To prevent hospital malnutrition, it is very important to develop nutritional screening procedures and to use a tool such as PYMS.

References: Pars, H., Açıkgöz, A., & Erdoğan, B. D. (2020). Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of three screening tools (PYMS, STAMP, and STRONG-kids) in hospitalized children. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 39, 96–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2020.07.011

Disclosure of Interest: None Declared

Keywords: hospitalized children, malnutrition, malnutrition risk, nutrition screening, pediatric patients