Acute stroke patients not meeting their nutrition requirements: Investigating nutrition within the enriched environment

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Author(s)
Robertson, Samantha T
Grimley, Rohan S
Anstey, Chris
Rosbergen, Ingrid CM
Year published
2020
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Background & aims: Malnutrition is common after stroke. We investigated the impact of environmental enrichment strategies on dietary intake and rates of malnutrition in an acute stroke unit. Methods: We performed a before-after study. In standard care, meals were delivered to participants’ rooms whilst in the enriched environment, communal meals with assistance were offered and nutritional intake reminders were placed at the patient bedside. Nutrition supplementation was provided to both groups if indicated. Breakfast and lunch meals were directly observed while remaining intake was calculated using food charts. Nutrition ...
View more >Background & aims: Malnutrition is common after stroke. We investigated the impact of environmental enrichment strategies on dietary intake and rates of malnutrition in an acute stroke unit. Methods: We performed a before-after study. In standard care, meals were delivered to participants’ rooms whilst in the enriched environment, communal meals with assistance were offered and nutritional intake reminders were placed at the patient bedside. Nutrition supplementation was provided to both groups if indicated. Breakfast and lunch meals were directly observed while remaining intake was calculated using food charts. Nutrition requirements were calculated for energy (ratio method), protein (1 g/kg) and proportion of requirements met. Malnutrition was assessed using the Subjective Global Assessment and body weight. ANCOVA adjusting for stroke severity was used to determine between group differences. Stepwise multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess predictors of nutritional outcomes, adjusting for intervention group, demographic, clinical and baseline nutritional factors. Results: Neither standard care (n = 30, age 76.0yrs ± SD12.8) nor enriched environment (n = 30, age 76.7yrs ± SD12.1, p = 0.84) met daily requirements for energy (70.7% ± SD16.8 vs. 70.7% ± SD17.3, p = 0.94) or protein intake (73.2% ± SD18.6 vs. 69.8% ± SD17.3, p = 0.70). Mean body weight dropped: standard care 0.92 kg ± SD2.47 vs. enriched 0.64 kg ± SD3.12 (p = 0.53) and malnutrition increased: standard care 3.3%–26.6% vs. enriched 6.6%–13.3% (p = 0.07). Predictors of malnutrition on discharge in logistic regression models were: length of stay (p < 0.01) and protein (p < 0.01) or energy intake (p = 0.02). Conclusions: Acute stroke patients were not meeting nutritional requirements and losing body weight. The enriched environment showed no effect on nutritional intake. Malnutrition was associated with lower energy and protein intakes and increased length of stay.
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View more >Background & aims: Malnutrition is common after stroke. We investigated the impact of environmental enrichment strategies on dietary intake and rates of malnutrition in an acute stroke unit. Methods: We performed a before-after study. In standard care, meals were delivered to participants’ rooms whilst in the enriched environment, communal meals with assistance were offered and nutritional intake reminders were placed at the patient bedside. Nutrition supplementation was provided to both groups if indicated. Breakfast and lunch meals were directly observed while remaining intake was calculated using food charts. Nutrition requirements were calculated for energy (ratio method), protein (1 g/kg) and proportion of requirements met. Malnutrition was assessed using the Subjective Global Assessment and body weight. ANCOVA adjusting for stroke severity was used to determine between group differences. Stepwise multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess predictors of nutritional outcomes, adjusting for intervention group, demographic, clinical and baseline nutritional factors. Results: Neither standard care (n = 30, age 76.0yrs ± SD12.8) nor enriched environment (n = 30, age 76.7yrs ± SD12.1, p = 0.84) met daily requirements for energy (70.7% ± SD16.8 vs. 70.7% ± SD17.3, p = 0.94) or protein intake (73.2% ± SD18.6 vs. 69.8% ± SD17.3, p = 0.70). Mean body weight dropped: standard care 0.92 kg ± SD2.47 vs. enriched 0.64 kg ± SD3.12 (p = 0.53) and malnutrition increased: standard care 3.3%–26.6% vs. enriched 6.6%–13.3% (p = 0.07). Predictors of malnutrition on discharge in logistic regression models were: length of stay (p < 0.01) and protein (p < 0.01) or energy intake (p = 0.02). Conclusions: Acute stroke patients were not meeting nutritional requirements and losing body weight. The enriched environment showed no effect on nutritional intake. Malnutrition was associated with lower energy and protein intakes and increased length of stay.
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Journal Title
Clinical Nutrition
Copyright Statement
© 2019 Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, providing that the work is properly cited.
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This publication has been entered into Griffith Research Online as an Advanced Online Version
Subject
Nutrition and Dietetics
Acute stroke unit
Enriched environment
Malnutrition
Nutrition
Nutritional intake