Posted Aug 26, 2011
THE majority of patients lack awareness about malnutrition, whether they are at risk and how they can prevent the condition from developing, a report suggests.
The Patients Association said the Government needs to provide more information to patients and healthcare professionals on basic nutrition, and the importance of monitoring weight as an early warning sign of malnutrition.
The survey, entitled Malnutrition in the Community and Hospital Setting, revealed that only 7% associate good nutrition with maintaining a regular healthy weight. This suggests that for many patients monitoring their weight regularly is not seen as a tool to check that they are adequately nourished.
Instead they felt the term related to having a balanced diet and eating five fruit and vegetables a day.
Very few were aware that malnutrition can delay recovery from illness (43%) and impair wound healing (25%).
The results of the survey revealed that 69% of inpatients did not recall being screened for malnutrition on admission to hospitals.
The survey also found very few carers carry out formal screening checks such as regular weighing of the person they are caring for (16%).
A fifth of respondents were unaware that there are treatments and actions that can easily be put in place to treat individuals suffering from malnutrition, the Patients Association said.
Other recent research has shown that patients with malnutrition visit their GP twice as often as those who are well nourished; are three times more likely to be admitted to hospital; have an increased stay in hospital by three days; and twothirds of people who are malnourished receive no treatment for malnutrition. The report, based on a YouGov survey, is the largest of its kind in the UK on the issue of malnutrition and involved 5,018 respondents.