Need of nutritional assessment and monitoring in a population with acquired brain injury: an analytical cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Patients with acquired brain injury (ABI) may be at an increased risk of malnutrition due to the pathophysiology of their condition, which can affect their anthropometrical profile and therefore their quality of life. The present study analyzes the anthropometrical profile of these individuals, describes their dietary habits and nutrients intake and identifies the related risk factors influencing health status and quality of life.

Methods

Twenty-three volunteers with ABI from the province of Granada (Spain) were recruited for this cross-sectional study. Nutritional assessment was quantitatively and qualitatively performed using a 72-h dietary record and a food frequency questionnaire, respectively. Body composition parameters were evaluated by bioelectrical impedance.

Results

Low intakes of minerals related to bone health, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and fruits were reported. Moreover, women presented a poorer anthropometrical profile compared to men. With reference to age, a significant inverse correlation was observed with sarcopenic obesity, appendicular muscle mass index and Vitamin B₆ intake [(r = −0.617, p < 0.01), (r = −0.475, p < 0.05) and (r = −0.498, p < 0.05), respectively]. Intake of EVOO was inversely correlated to body mass index (r = −0.767, p < 0.001). Lastly, a direct correlation was observed between the consumption of alcohol and sweets and snacks (r = 0.608, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

The main findings support the existence of poor dietary quality and anthropometrical profile. Interdisciplinary team assessment would be beneficial to enhance the quality of life and attenuate the development of comorbidities in subjects with ABI.

KEYWORDS:

• acquired brain injury
• intellectual disability
• nutrient intake
• bioimpedance
• anthropometry
• dietary habits
• ‌brain damage
• nutritional assessment

Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to all the volunteers who participated in the present study as well as to their families and the multidisciplinary staff from AGREDACE. We also thank the professional English translator for providing language revision and edition. Ethics approval: The confidentiality of all the data used and collected has been guaranteed at all times, complying with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and the approval by the Ethics Committee of the University of Granada.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [J.M-L], upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

Héctor Vázquez-Lorente and Lourdes Herrera-Quintana are under a FPU fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Educación y Formación Profesional with grant reference FPU18/03655 and FPU18/03702, respectively.

Notes on contributors

H. Vázquez-Lorente

H. Vázquez-Lorente is graduated in Nutrition and Dietetics and is currently working in his PhD in the School of Pharmacy and the Biomedical Research Center from the University of Granada, Spain. Vázquez-Lorente's research interests include the relationship between diet, anthropometry, macromolecules, micromolecules and human health.

L. Herrera-Quintana

L. Herrera-Quintana studied Pharmacy at the University of Granada, where she also studied Human Nutrition and Dietetics and obtained her Master's Degree. She is currently doing a PhD working on the assessment of nutritional status in critical ill patients. Her research is mainly focused on the micronutrients and their influence in patients' health and recovery.

J. Molina-López

Dr. J. Molina-López is a Professor Physical Activity and Sport Sciences at University of Huelva. He completed his PhD at University of Granada in Nutrition and Food Technology assessing nutritional status in high-performance athletes. His research interest lie in the assessment of nutritional status and the determination of nutritional biomarkers associated with health and sports performance.

M. Zapata-Soria

M. Zapata-Soria is a Speech Therapist specialized in Neurological Disorders and Brain Injury and in Research in Movement Disorders and Functional Alterations. She is also a Speech Therapist specialized in dysphagia. Mónica is academic supervisor for master's degree students in Speech Therapy Research in Degenerative Disorders and Brain Injury at the University of Granada. She is PhD student in School of Health Sciences at University of Granada.

E. Planells

Dr. E. Planells is a Full Professor of Physiology in Pharmacy, Food Science and Technology, Nutrition and Speech Therapy degrees. She is a coordinator of the Master in Speech Therapy Research in degenerative disorders and brain damage at the University of Granada. She was a member of the Management Committee of the COST Action TD1304 Zn-Network and a leader of the Working Group Bomarkers Discovery. Her research interest is focused on the assessment of nutritional status and the determination of nutritional biomarkers associated with health.