Continue reading after the advertisement...
INTRODUCTION,
Despite
all effort undertaken both nationally and internationally, poor nutritional
status is still a fundamental cause of disease and shortened life span. Most
people are aware that many factors are either directly or indirectly
responsible for under nutrition, including insecure food supply, lack of basic
education, inadequate health services, deteriorated environment, low income, and
inadequate empowerment. The factors contributing to malnutrition vary from
community. However, poverty is nearly always an underlining factor.
DEFINITION
OF TERMS
Ø Nutritional
Assessment is the process of monitoring changes in the nutritional status of an
individual or population over a period of time.
Ø Nutritional
Status is the condition of the body as a result of the intake, absorption and
use of nutrition and the influence of the disease related factors.
PURPOSE
OF NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT
1.
Nutritional assessment is a vital
indicator for the overall health and welfare of population especially where
regular demographic and health survey are lacking.
2.
It is critical for making decision that
will assist in improved nutrition outcomes of a population.
3.
It can be used in crisis mitigation
especially as an early warning indicator to respond to threats such as drought
or disease out breaks.
4.
Data collected assists in providing
baseline information on nutrition, socio-economic factors, demographic
characteristics, food security and cultural aspects of a population.
5.
Information is important for decision
making on program planning, management, monitoring and evaluation.
TYPES
OF DATA
1.
Quantitative (numeric)
2.
Quantitative ( narrative)
STEPS IN CONDUCTING SURVEY
1.
Planning the survey
2.
Administering the survey; partner,
contact, training and tool pre-testing data collection, data management, report
and presentation.
WHEN
TO CONDUCT SURVEY/ASSESSMENT
1.
At the beginning of a nutrition project
cycle to provide baseline information for program formulation.
2.
During initial phase of emergency
situation to measure nutritional status and plan a short term at response.
3.
During the course of the nutrition
program to assess and monitor the impact.
4.
Monitor progress (regular monitoring of
the situation).
5.
At the end of the project cycle to
evaluate its extent and impact.
6.
Any other time deemed necessary to
establish a baseline.
HOW
TO MEASURE
There is not one single
parameter that serves as the only and best parameter to discover malnourished
patients with risk for malnutrition. The most important goals of nutritional
assessments are;
1.
In time discovery of malnourished
patients or patients at risks so the dietician can star her nutritional
treatment as soon as possible.
2.
To determine the quantity of
malnutrition, so an adequate definition of the individual nutrition need is possible.
3.
Diagnosis purpose
4.
Monitoring of changes in nutritional
state during nutritional intervention.
5.
Collecting data for scientific research
6.
Attention for the nutritional status of
a patient in hospital
7.
Improvement of accomplishment of
nutritional assessment measurements
8.
It can be used for patients at rise of
malnutrition and patients in whom nutritional assessment can contribute to
determination of the diagnosis.
TOOLS FOR ASSESSMENT
·
Bio
chemical data
Laboratory tests based
on blood and urine can be important indicants of nutritional status, but they
are influenced by non-nutritional factors as well lab results can be altered by
medications, hydration status, and disease status or other metabolic process,
such as stress. As with the other areas of nutrition assessment, biochemical
data need to be viewed as a part of the whole.
·
Clinical
data
Clinical data provides
information about the individual’s medical history, including acute and chronic
illness and diagnosis procedures, therapies or treatment that may increases
nutrient needs or induce malabsorption current meditations need to be
documented, and both prescription drugs and over the counter drugs, such as laxatives
or analysis, must be included in the analysis. Vitamins, minerals, and herbal
preparations also need to be reviewed. Physical signs of malnutrition can be
documented during the nutrition interview and are an important part of the assessment
process.
·
Dietary
data
There are many ways to
document dietary intake. The accuracy of the data is frequently challenged.
However, since both questioning and observing can impact the actual intake.
During a nutrition interview, the practitioner may ask what the individual ate
during the previous twenty-four hours, beginning with the last item eaten prior
to the interview. Practitioners can train individuals on completing a food
diary, and they can request that the record be kept for either three days or
one week. Documentation shoulders include portion sizes and how the food has
prepared. Brand names or the restaurant where the food was eaten can assist in
assessing the details of intake.
During the nutrition
interview, data collection will include questions about the individual’s
lifestyle including the number of meals eaten daily, where they are eaten and
who prepared the meals, information about all allergies, food intolerances, and
food avoidances, as well as caffeine and alcohol use, should be collected.
NUTRITIONAL ASSESSMENT OF
INDIVIDUALS
To prepare a nutrition
assessment, the assessor, usually a registered dietician or a physician trained
in clinical nutrition, uses;
1.
HISTORICAL
INFORMATION
One step in evaluating
nutrition status is to obtain information about a person’s history with respect
to health status, socio economic status, drug use diet. An estimate of energy
and nutrient intake from diet history, confirm or rule out the possibility of
suspected nutrition problems.
2. ANTHROPOMETRIC DATA
A second technique that
may help repeal nutrition problems in the taking of measure such as; height and
weight.
The ancestors’ compares
measurement taken on an individual with standards specific for sex and age or
with previous measures on the same individual. Measurements out of the with
expectations may reveal such problems as growth failure in children, wasting or
swelling of body tissues in adults, and obesity, conditions that may reflect
nutrient deficiencies or excess.
3. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
A third nutrition
assessment technique is a physical examination that looks for clues to poor
nutrition status. Every part of the body that can be inspected can offer such
clues; the hair eyes, skin, posture, tongue, fingernails and others.
4. LABORATORY TESTS
A fourth way to detect
a developing deficiency, imbalance or toxicity state is to take samples of body
tissues or fluids (blood or urine) analyze them in the laboratory and compare
the results with normal values for a similar population. A goal of nutrition
assessment is to uncover early signs of malnutrition before symptoms appear.
Laboratory tests are useful this way and can also confirm suspicious raised by
other assessment methods.
No comments:
Post a Comment