Screening for undernutrition is highly important and may reduce morbidity and mortality. The Minimal Eating Observation and Nutrition Form -Version II (MEONF-II) is a nutritional screening tool specifically developed for use by nurses. Here, we describe the translation, performance and appropriateness of the MEONF-II for the UK.Following translation from Swedish to British English, the user-friendliness and appropriateness of the British MEONF-II was tested by 29 registered nurses and final year student nurses on 266 hospital inpatients. The new British MEONF-II was perceived as highly user-friendly and appropriate. They found the MEONF-II to compare favourably to other similar tools in terms of preference, usefulness and helpfulness in providing good nutritional care. Dependency in activities and poorer subjective health were associated with a higher undernutrition risk. These findings support the appropriateness of the British MEONF-II version and suggest it may act as a userfriendly facilitator towards good nutritional nursing care. Keywords: MEONF-II, nutrition, screening, translation, undernutrition 3Key phrases 1. Screening for undernutrition is primarily a nursing responsibility that can improve nutritional status and medical recovery, and reduce morbidity and mortality. 2.The MEONF-II is a nutrition screening tool developed in Sweden for nursing use among adult hospital inpatients.3. The MEONF-II was adapted for use in the UK, and considered user-friendly and appropriate by British qualified and student nurses. 4.The MEONF -II compared favourably with other tools (e.g., the MUST) regarding usefulness towards providing good nutritional nursing care. 5.Further studies in larger British hospital patient cohorts are needed to more firmly test the usefulness and validity of the British MEONF-II.4

No abstract