A nationally representative survey of hospital malnutrition: the Italian PIMAI (Project: Iatrogenic MAlnutrition in Italy) study

Abstract

Overall prevalence of malnutrition was 30.7%, with higher rates in the northern macroarea (36.7%) than in central (28.0%), southern (26.9%) and island (16.7%) ones (p < 0.0001). This discrepancy appeared to be mainly related to the prevalence of overweight/obesity. By a multivariate model, malnutrition was significantly lower in males (p < 0.05) and surgical wards (p < 0.002), associated with geography (p < 0.05) and consistently higher in patients aged ≥65 years (p < 0.01), presenting with malignancies (p < 0.005) and having multidrug therapy (p < 0.05). The prevalence of hospital malnutrition is high also in Italy. It presents with different geographical distribution also according to overweight prevalence. This evidence should be considered when designing national nutritional policies.

Health nutrition practice in Italy

“…The ratio of SDNC professionals to members of the population is around 1/133,000, but the heterogeneity per macro area is higher. 39 In addition, a recent nationwide survey (the PIMAI study -Project: Iatrogenic MAlnutrition in Italy) of nutritional risk at hospital admission, revealed that 51.7% of inpatients needed medical nutrition treatment at the time of hospital admission, primarily for malnutrition and obesity (21% and 30.7%, respectively). 39 Other indicators relevant to the present inadequacy of nutritional services include the following: 1) Insufficient presence of dietetic services.…”

Nutritional predictors of mortality after discharge in elderly patients on a medical ward

“…Malnutrition in elderly inpatients hospitalized on medical wards is a significant public health concern [1] affecting up to 60-70% of this subpopulation [2,3]. Malnutrition is a wellestablished predictor of mortality in hospitalized patients [4,5].…”