Nutritional assessment (lecture 1B)

Question 1

what is nutrition status?

Answer 1

The degree to which the individual’s physiologic need for nutrients is being met by the foods he/she is eating. It is the state of balance in the individual between the nutrient intake and the nutrient expenditure or need

Question 2

what is classified as an assessment of nutrition?

Answer 2

A systematic process of collecting and interpreting information in order to make decisions about the nature and cause of nutrition related health issues that affect an individual, a group or a population.

Question 3

Assessing nutritional status? Anthropometry:

Answer 3

Dimension/Composition of the body

Question 4

Assessing nutritional status? Biomarkers:

Answer 4

Reflect nutrient intake/impact of intake

Question 5

Assessing nutritional status? Clinical Assessment:

Answer 5

Consequences of imbalanced intake

Signs/symptoms

Question 6

Assessing nutritional status? Dietary Assessment:

Answer 6

Estimates food/nutrient intake

Question 7

Anthropometry: what is it?

Answer 7

• Compared with standards/equations and
include:

– Weight
– Height
– BMI
– Waist circumference
– Skinfold thickness
– BIA
– DEXA / Underwater weighing

Question 8

Biomarkers: what are they?

Answer 8

• Provides an objective measure of nutritional status (and also for determining validity of dietary intake).
• Urine/blood/plasma
• Often used to confirm diagnosis

• Markers may be affected by:
– Diurnal variation
– Contamination
– Exercise
– Recent dietary intake
– Haemolysis
– Inflammation
– Lab/Test dependent
– And many more....

Question 9

Clinical signs? what are they?

Answer 9

different criteria to determine what needs to be changed in a persons diet.

EI: muscle cramping is due to lack of calcium and unexplained weakness is due to lack of phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin D.

Question 10

Dietary assessment methods: what are they?

Answer 10

• 24h dietary recall
• Food frequency questionnaire
• Diet history

• Food diary
(estimated/weighed)

• Direct observation
• Duplicate diet