Measuring body composition in pediatric patients with complex diagnoses: Acceptability, practicality, and validation of different techniques.

Background: Body composition could help identify malnutrition in pediatric patients, but there is uncertainty over which techniques are most suitable and prevailing opinion that measurements are difficult to obtain in practice. This study examined the acceptability, practicality, reliability, and validity of different anthropometric and body composition measurements in patients with complex diagnoses in a tertiary pediatric hospital.

Methods: A total of 152 children aged 5-18 years had weight, height, body mass index (BMI), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), 4-site skinfold thicknesses (SFT), bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) assessed on admission and discharge.

Use of standardized body composition measurements and malnutrition screening tools to detect malnutrition risk and predict clinical outcomes in children with chronic conditions.

Background: Better tools are needed to diagnose and identify children at risk of clinical malnutrition.

Objectives: We aimed to compare body composition (BC) and malnutrition screening tools (MSTs) for detecting malnutrition on admission; and examine their ability to predict adverse clinical outcomes [increased length of stay (LOS) and complications] in complex pediatric patients.

Methods: This was a prospective study in children 5-18 y old admitted to a tertiary pediatric hospital (n = 152).

Validation and Adaptation of the Spanish Version of the STRONGkids Nutrition Screening Tool.

Background: The use of malnutrition screening tools (MSTs) among hospitalized pediatric patients is a simple practice that may allow the identification of patients at nutrition risk. There are different tools developed in the English language, but there are limited data available on their validity when translated into other languages. The aim of this study was to construct a Spanish version (SV) of the STRONGkids MST and determine its validity and reliability in a pediatric population.