Work

Incorporating the Malnutrition Screening Tool and the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool in Rehabilitation Practice: Comparison With the Nutrition Risk Screening 2002

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT To demonstrate the prevalence of malnutrition risk in a specific rehabilitation setting. The secondary aim of the study was to compare Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) and Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) with Nutritional Risk Screening‐2002 (NRS‐2002). Patients diagnosed with stroke, anoxic brain injury, spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, neuromuscular diseases, Parkinson's disease, and lymphedema who were admitted to a rehabilitation hospital were included. NRS‐2002, MST, and MUST were used to assess malnutrition risk. Body weight (kg), height (cm), and mid upper arm circumference (cm) were measured. Twenty‐four hours dietary records were obtained. Routine blood test results were recorded from patient files. Five hundred sixteen patients with a mean age of 54.3 ± 18.0 years were included. The most prominent diagnoses were stroke and spinal cord injury. According to NRS‐2002, 71.7% (n = 370) of the patients were at low risk, but 28.3% (n = 146) of the patients were at high risk. Comparisons between NRS‐2002 and MST showed that these two scales have similar results at classifying patients for malnutrition risk (p = 0.154). Comparison between NRS‐2002 and MUST showed significant differences (p < 0.001). Both sensitivity and specificity of MST were above 80.0%. Sensitivity of MUST was 78.1% and specificity was 88.1%. Approximately one‐third of the patients were at risk of malnutrition. Specificity and sensitivity of MST and MUST were as high as routinely used scale NRS‐2002, and therefore it can be supposed that, considering the diagnostic groups of the patients, MST and MUST are useful in rehabilitation practice.

Source: Food Science & Nutrition

DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.4676