Hospital Acute Malnutrition Before And After A Three-Year Multidisciplinary Hospital Nutrition Intervention In A Major Urban General Hospital, Vietnam

Objectives Change in % ideal body weigh (IBW) and risk of acute malnutrition after a 3y hospital nutrition intervention. Methods Cross‐sectional data from patients aged 31d‐90y hospitalized in seven key wards were obtained using a one‐day survey method in 2010 and 2013, Bach Mai Hospital. Data included age, sex, admission type, ward, length of stay (LOS), actual/recall weight and height. Exclusions criteria were discharge <24h, unavailability, or lack of nutrition status data (n=85/1474). Acute malnutrition was defined as pediatric wasting or thinness and adult underweight (WHO). Regression analyses were used. Results 624 (57% male) patients in 2010 and 765 (58% male) in 2013. At baseline, IBW was 90.8+0.6% with 17%(18/104) pediatric wasting or thinness and 34% (175/520) adults underweight. After adjusting for potential confounding variables including sex, admission type, ward, LOS, and missing actual weight or height, patients admitted in 2013 showed a 3% increase in IBW (3.3+0.8%, p<0.0001) and were 29% less likely to have acute malnutrition (OR: 0.71 [0.55‐0.92]). Conclusion A reduction in hospital acute malnutrition was observed after a nutrition intervention. (Support: the Abbott Fund)