Chapter 12: Nutrition Assessment (Practice Questions)

Question 1

When assessing a patient’s nutritional status, the nurse recalls that the best definition of optimal nutritional status is sufficient nutrients that:

a. Are in excess of daily body requirements.
b. Provide for the minimum body needs.
c. Provide for daily body requirements but do not support increased metabolic demands.
d. Provide for daily body requirements and support increased metabolic demands.

Answer 1

d. Provide for daily body requirements and support increased metabolic demands.

Question 2

The nurse is assessing a 30-year-old unemployed immigrant from an underdeveloped country who has been in the United States for 1 month. Which of these problems related to his nutritional status might the nurse expect to find?

a. Obesity
b. Hypotension
c. Osteomalacia (softening of the bones)
d. Coronary artery disease

Answer 2

c. Osteomalacia (softening of the bones)

Question 3

For the first time, the nurse is seeing a patient who has no history of nutrition-related problems. The initial nutritional screening should include which activity?

a. Calorie count of nutrients
b. Anthropometric measures
c. Complete physical examination
d. Measurement of weight and weight history

Answer 3

d. Measurement of weight and weight history

Question 4

A patient is asked to indicate on a form how many times he eats a specific food. This method describes which of these tools for obtaining dietary information?

a. Food diary
b. Calorie count
c. 24-hour recall
d. Food-frequency questionnaire

Answer 4

b. Calorie count

Question 5

The nurse is providing care for a 68-year-old woman who is complaining of constipation. What concern exists regarding her nutritional status?

a. Absorption of nutrients may be impaired.
b. Constipation may represent a food allergy.
c. The patient may need emergency surgery to correct the problem.
d. Gastrointestinal problems will increase her caloric demand.

Answer 5

a. Absorption of nutrients may be impaired.

Question 6

During a nutritional assessment, why is it important for the nurse to ask a patient what medications he or she is taking?

a. Certain drugs can affect the metabolism of nutrients.
b. The nurse needs to assess the patient for allergic reactions.
c. Medications need to be documented in the record for the physicians review.
d. Medications can affect ones memory and ability to identify food eaten in the last 24 hours.

Answer 6

a. Certain drugs can affect the metabolism of nutrients.

Question 7

A patient tells the nurse that his food simply does not have any taste anymore. The nurse’s best response would be:

a. That must be really frustrating.
b. When did you first notice this change?
c. My food doesnt always have a lot of taste either.
d. Sometimes that happens, but your taste will come back.

Answer 7

b. When did you first notice this change?

Question 8

The nurse is reviewing the nutritional assessment of an 82-year-old patient. Which of these factors will most likely affect the nutritional status of an older adult?

a. Increase in taste and smell
b. Living alone on a fixed income
c. Change in cardiovascular status
d. Increase in gastrointestinal motility and absorption

Answer 8

b. Living alone on a fixed income

Question 9

When considering a nutritional assessment, the nurse is aware that the most common anthropometric measurements include:

a. Height and weight.
b. Leg circumference.
c. Skinfold thickness of the biceps.
d. Hip and waist measurements.

Answer 9

a. Height and weight.

Question 10

If a 29-year-old woman weighs 156 pounds, and the nurse determines her ideal body weight to be 120 pounds, then how would the nurse classify the womans weight?

a. Obese
b. Mildly overweight
c. Suffering from malnutrition
d. Within appropriate range of ideal weight

Answer 10

a. Obese

Question 11

How should the nurse perform a triceps skinfold assessment?

a. After pinching the skin and fat, the calipers are vertically applied to the fat fold.
b. The skin and fat on the front of the patients arm are gently pinched, and then the calipers are applied.
c. After applying the calipers, the nurse waits 3 seconds before taking a reading. After repeating the procedure three times, an average is recorded.
d. The patient is instructed to stand with his or her back to the examiner and arms folded across the chest. The skin on the forearm is pinched.

Answer 11

c. After applying the calipers, the nurse waits 3 seconds before taking a reading. After repeating the
procedure three times, an average is recorded.

Question 12

In teaching a patient how to determine total body fat at home, the nurse includes instructions to obtain measurements of:

a. Height and weight.
b. Frame size and weight.
c. Waist and hip circumferences.
d. Mid-upper arm circumference and arm span.

Answer 12

a. Height and weight.

Question 13

The nurse is evaluating patients for obesity-related diseases by calculating the waist-to-hip ratios. Which one of these patients would be at increased risk?

a. 29-year-old woman whose waist measures 33 inches and hips measure 36 inches
b. 32-year-old man whose waist measures 34 inches and hips measure 36 inches
c. 38-year-old man whose waist measures 35 inches and hips measure 38 inches
d. 46-year-old woman whose waist measures 30 inches and hips measure 38 inches

Answer 13

a. 29-year-old woman whose waist measures 33 inches and hips measure 36 inches

Question 14

A 50-year-old woman with elevated total cholesterol and triglyceride levels is visiting the clinic to find out about her laboratory results. What would be important for the nurse to include in patient teaching in relation to these tests?

a. The risks of undernutrition should be included.
b. Offer methods to reduce the stress in her life.
c. Provide information regarding a diet low in saturated fat.
d. This condition is hereditary; she can do nothing to change the levels.

Answer 14

c. Provide information regarding a diet low in saturated fat.

Question 15

In performing an assessment on a 49-year-old woman who has imbalanced nutrition as a result of dysphagia, which data would the nurse expect to find?

a. Increase in hair growth
b. Inadequate nutrient food intake
c. Weight 10% to 20% over ideal
d. Sore, inflamed buccal cavity

Answer 15

b. Inadequate nutrient food intake

Question 16

A 21-year-old woman has been on a low-protein liquid diet for the past 2 months. She has had adequate intake of calories and appears well nourished. After further assessment, what would the nurse expect to find?

a. Poor skin turgor
b. Decreased serum albumin
c. Increased lymphocyte count
d. Triceps skinfold less than standard

Answer 16

b. Decreased serum albumin

Question 17

The nurse is performing a nutritional assessment on an 80-year-old patient. The nurse knows that physiologic changes can directly affect the nutritional status of the older adult and include:

a. Slowed gastrointestinal motility.
b. Hyperstimulation of the salivary glands.
c. Increased sensitivity to spicy and aromatic foods.
d. Decreased gastrointestinal absorption causing esophageal reflux.

Answer 17

a. Slowed gastrointestinal motility.

Question 18

Which of these interventions is most appropriate when the nurse is planning nutritional interventions for a healthy, active 74-year-old woman?

a. Decreasing the amount of carbohydrates to prevent lean muscle catabolism
b. Increasing the amount of soy and tofu in her diet to promote bone growth and reverse osteoporosis
c. Decreasing the number of calories she is eating because of the decrease in energy requirements from the loss of lean body mass
d. Increasing the number of calories she is eating because of the increased energy needs of the older adult

Answer 18

c. Decreasing the number of calories she is eating because of the decrease in energy requirements from the loss of lean body mass

Question 19

The nurse is preparing to measure fat and lean body mass and bone mineral density. Which tool is appropriate?

a. Measuring tape
b. Skinfold calipers
c. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)
d. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)

Answer 19

d. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA)

Question 20

Which of these conditions is due to an inadequate intake of both protein and calories?

a. Obesity
b. Bulimia
c. Marasmus
d. Kwashiorkor

Answer 20

c. Marasmus

Question 21

During an assessment of a patient who has been homeless for several years, the nurse notices that his tongue is magenta in color, which is an indication of a deficiency in what mineral and/or vitamin?

a. Iron
b. Riboflavin
c. Vitamin D and calcium
d. Vitamin C

Answer 21

b. Riboflavin

Question 22

A 50-year-old patient has been brought to the emergency department after a housemate found that the patient could not get out of bed alone. He has lived in a group home for years but for several months has not participated in the activities and has stayed in his room. The nurse assesses for signs of undernutrition, and an x-ray study reveals that he has osteomalacia, which is a deficiency of:

a. Iron.
b. Riboflavin.
c. Vitamin D and calcium.
d. Vitamin C.

Answer 22

c. Vitamin D and calcium.

Question 23

An older adult patient in a nursing home has been receiving tube feedings for several months. During an oral examination, the nurse notes that patients gums are swollen, ulcerated, and bleeding in some areas. The nurse suspects that the patient has what condition?

a. Rickets
b. Vitamin A deficiency
c. Linoleic-acid deficiency
d. Vitamin C deficiency

Answer 23

d. Vitamin C deficiency

Question 24

The nurse is assessing the body weight as a percentage of ideal body weight on an adolescent patient who was admitted for suspected anorexia nervosa. The patients usual weight was 125 pounds, but today she weighs 98 pounds. The nurse calculates the patients ideal body weight and concludes that the patient is:

a. Experiencing mild malnutrition.
b. Experiencing moderate malnutrition.
c. Experiencing severe malnutrition.
d. Still within expected parameters with her current weight.

Answer 24

b. Experiencing moderate malnutrition.

Question 25

The nurse is assessing a patient who is obese for signs of metabolic syndrome. This condition is diagnosed when three or more certain risk factors are present. Which of these assessment findings are risk factors for metabolic syndrome? Select all that apply.

a. Fasting plasma glucose level less than 100 mg/dL
b. Fasting plasma glucose level greater than or equal to 110 mg/dL
c. Blood pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg
d. Blood pressure reading of 110/80 mm Hg
e. Triglyceride level of 120 mg/dL

Answer 25

b. Fasting plasma glucose level greater than or equal to 110 mg/dL
c. Blood pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg

Question 26

A patient has been unable to eat solid food for 2 weeks and is in the clinic today complaining of weakness, tiredness, and hair loss. The patient states that her usual weight is 175 pounds, but today she weighs 161 pounds. What is her recent weight change percentage? To calculate recent weight change percentage, use this formula:

Answer 26

8%