The Dutch National Survey, Article Writing Example

Hulst JM, et al. Dutch national survey to test the STRONGkids nutritional risk screening tool in hospitalized children. Clinical Nutrition 29.1, (2010):106-11.

In the Hulst et al. (2010) the Dutch national survey to of STRONGkids nutritional risk screening tool utilized to test hospitalized children through an observational multi-centre study, looks at 424 children with of median age 3.5 years, with a median hospital stay of 2 days. The study was performed in 44 Dutch hospitals (7 academic and 37 general), over three consecutive days in 2007. Measurements of weight and length were recorded for SD-scores <-2 for weight-for-height and height-for-age to indicate acute and chronic malnutrition (Hulst, 2010).

The impetus of the risk assessment study is directed at query on the propensity of children admitted to the hospital to be at risk of developing malnutrition. The core aim of the research was to investigate the feasibility and value of the new nutritional risk screening tool. Comprised of four assessment targets, the screening tool provides: 1) subjective clinical assessment; 2) high risk disease; 3) nutritional intake; 4) weight loss. The findings of the study revealed a total of 62% percent of the children classified ‘at risk’ of malnutrition. The participants had significantly lower SD-scores for weight-for-height, and a higher prevalence of acute malnutrition impacted by a longer hospital stay compared to those with no nutritional risk.

The nutritional risk screening tool STRONG(kids) led to successful application in 98% of the pediatric cases studied in the Netherlands. Outcomes to the study indicated a significant relationship between having a “high risk” score, a negative SD-score in weight-for-height and a prolonged hospital stay.