<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<sec><h3>Introduction</h3>
<p>Clinical dietitians play a crucial role in the nutritional support of patients at risk of malnutrition in primary care settings. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of an individualized nutritional intervention on clinically relevant outcomes for patients with chronic disease at nutritional risk.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Methods</h3>
<p>A longitudinal evaluation study was conducted in two Slovenian primary health centres. We used pre-test and post-test design. Patients with chronic disease were screened using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool and additional risk factors (≥70 years and BMI &lt;22 kg/m<sup>2</sup>; lower food intake in the last five days). Patients at nutritional risk were referred to a clinical dietitian for individual nutritional intervention. The effect of the nutritional intervention was assessed six months after the patients’ first visit with a clinical dietitian.</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Results</h3>
<p>The sample included 94 patients. Nutritional risk was reduced significantly in high-risk and moderate-risk patients. In a subgroup of patients with a MUST score ≥1 (77 patients), body weight, BMI, Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI), energy intake, and protein intake increased significantly (p&lt;0.001). At the same time, the phase angle significantly increased (p&lt;0.001), but there were no statistically significant changes in the improvement of grip strength. In a subgroup of patients with MUST score 0 (17 patients), we observed an increase in their median daily energy intake (p&lt;0.001) and median protein intake (p=0.003).</p>
</sec>
<sec><h3>Conclusion</h3>
<p>Nutritional intervention delivered by a clinical dietitian improved patients’ nutritional intake and nutritional and functional status.</p>
</sec>
</abstract>

Introduction
Clinical dietitians play a crucial role in the nutritional support of patients at risk of malnutrition in primary care settings. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of an individualized nutritional intervention on clinically relevant outcomes for patients with chronic disease at nutritional risk.

Methods
A longitudinal evaluation study was conducted in two Slovenian primary health centres. We used pre-test and post-test design. Patients with chronic disease were screened using the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool and additional risk factors (≥70 years and BMI <22 kg/m2; lower food intake in the last five days). Patients at nutritional risk were referred to a clinical dietitian for individual nutritional intervention. The effect of the nutritional intervention was assessed six months after the patients’ first visit with a clinical dietitian.

Results
The sample included 94 patients. Nutritional risk was reduced significantly in high-risk and moderate-risk patients. In a subgroup of patients with a MUST score ≥1 (77 patients), body weight, BMI, Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI), energy intake, and protein intake increased significantly (p<0.001). At the same time, the phase angle significantly increased (p<0.001), but there were no statistically significant changes in the improvement of grip strength. In a subgroup of patients with MUST score 0 (17 patients), we observed an increase in their median daily energy intake (p<0.001) and median protein intake (p=0.003).

Conclusion
Nutritional intervention delivered by a clinical dietitian improved patients’ nutritional intake and nutritional and functional status.

Effectiveness of Nutritional Intervention Led by Clinical Dietitian in Patients at Risk of Malnutrition at the Primary Healthcare Level in Slovenia - Evaluation Study

University Rehabilitation Institute Republic of Slovenia Soča, Clinical Nutrition Team

Slovenian Journal of Public Health

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Učinkovitost Prehranskih Ukrepov Kliničnega Dietetika v Obravnavi Prehransko Ogroženih Pacientov na Primarni Ravni Zdravstvenega Varstva v Sloveniji – Evalvacijska Raziskava

Introduction
Clinical dietitians play a crucial role in the nutritional support of patients at risk of malnutrition in primary care settings. The study aimed...

Effectiveness of Nutritional Intervention Led by Clinical Dietitian in Patients at Risk of Malnutrition at the Primary Healthcare Level in Slovenia - Evaluation Study

Article Category: Original scientific article

Publicado en línea: 20 mar 2024

Páginas: 81 - 88

Recibido: 18 sept 2023

Aceptado: 05 feb 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2024-0012

Palabras clave
Nutritional screening, Nutritional assessment, Chronic diseases, Nutritional care, Primary care, Anthropometric measurements, Clinical dietitians

© 2024 Denis Mlakar-Mastnak et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Effectiveness of Nutritional Intervention Led by Clinical Dietitian in Patients at Risk of Malnutrition at the Primary Healthcare Level in Slovenia - Evaluation Study

Article Category: Original scientific article

Publicado en línea: 20 mar 2024

Páginas: 81 - 88

Recibido: 18 sept 2023

Aceptado: 05 feb 2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sjph-2024-0012

Palabras claveNutritional screening, Nutritional assessment, Chronic diseases, Nutritional care, Primary care, Anthropometric measurements, Clinical dietitians

© 2024 Denis Mlakar-Mastnak et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Palabras clave
Nutritional screening, Nutritional assessment, Chronic diseases, Nutritional care, Primary care, Anthropometric measurements, Clinical dietitians