Background
To examine the correlation between the dietary mineral intake and the nutritional status of patients suffering from malignancies.
Methods
This multicenter cross-sectional study included a total of 866 patients with malignant tumors recruited from seven hospitals throughout China. The information of sociodemographic characteristics and biochemical indicators was obtained from electronic medical records of inpatients. Dietary data were collected using a 3-day 24-hour dietary recall questionnaire. The intakes of energy, dietary calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) were estimated according to the Chinese Food Composition Tables (standard edition). The weight and height of patients were measured, and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Nutritional risk and malnutrition were assessed by the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS 2002) and Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) diagnostic criteria. We used a multivariable logistic regression model to estimate the associations between dietary minerals and malnutrition.
Results
The patients had an average age of (61.98 ± 15.49) years, and 40.6% (n = 352) were female. Slightly less than half (44.5%) of the patients were at nutritional risk (NRS 2002 ≥ 3), and 32.7% were diagnosed with malnutrition (using the GLIM criteria). Univariate analyses revealed that there was a statistically significant relationship between dietary mineral intake and the occurrence of nutritional risk (P < 0.001). After adjusting the collinearity, we found that higher levels of P, Mn, and Se intake were negatively associated with nutritional risk assessed by the NRS 2002 score. Moderate intake of Ca and high intake of Zn might also decrease the nutritional risk [Ca: odds ratio (OR) = 0.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.32–0.88; Zn: OR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.19–0.68]. However, no significant relationships were observed between any dietary mineral intake and malnutrition identified by the GLIM criteria.
Conclusions
Dietary minerals, especially P, Se, and Mn, may have a protective effect on the occurrence of nutritional risk in patients with malignant tumors. In addition, patients should maintain appropriate levels of Ca and Zn.