Peer-reviewed / Manuscript (original contribution) received: September 16, 2019 / Evaluated in the course of preparation of the 14th German Nutrition Society nutrition report
Introduction
Food intake may be difficult or even impossible for people who are ill or in need of care for a variety of reasons including e.g. loss of appetite, swallowing difficulties, or cognitive impairments. In addition, diseases are often accompanied by impaired nutrient utilisation and/or increased energy and nutrient requirements. Therefore, hospital patients are at an increased risk of malnutrition [1], which is associated with serious consequences not only regarding the health of those affected, but also in terms of increased costs for the healthcare system [2]. Numerous studies have documented a high prevalence of malnutrition in hospitals [3–6].
In Germany, the nutritional situation of hospital patients was investigated in the German Hospital Malnutrition Study around 15 years ago [7]. Signs of malnutrition were found in 27% of the participating 1886 patients from 13 hospitals who were examined on the day of admission. Another multicenter study conducted in 15 German hospitals reported a markedly reduced body mass index (BMI) in 8.5% of the included study patients [8]. Besides, there is hardly any data available on this topic.
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1 This article is an extract from the relevant chapter of the 14th German Nutrition Society nutrition report. It can be downloaded at www.dge.de/14-dge-eb/vvoe/kap2
2 With funding from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture
