Nutritional Status Quiz

Nutritional Status

• Nutritional status is the physiologic state or condition of an individual based on the balance between nutrient intake and unique requirement.
• Nutrient intake represents the amount of a nutrient absorbed into the body from foods, beverages, medications, and supplements consumed.

Factors Affecting Nutritional Status

• Internal or constitutional factors: age, gender, nutrition, behavior, physical activity, and diseases.
• Environmental factors: food safety, cultural, social, and economic circumstances.

Optimal Nutritional Status

• Occurs when the supply of nutrients balances the requirements.
• A powerful factor for health and well-being, promoting health, preventing and treating diseases, and improving quality of life.

Importance of Nutritional Status Assessment

• Detects nutrient insufficiency or excess in the early stages, allowing for improved dietary intake and lifestyle through nutrition intervention.
• Identifies individuals or population groups at risk of becoming malnourished or who are malnourished.
• Develops health care programs that meet community needs defined by the assessment.
• Measures the effectiveness of nutritional programs and interventions once initiated.

Types of Nutritional Assessment

• Direct methods: deal with individuals, measuring objective criteria.
• Indirect methods: use community indices reflecting community nutritional status/needs, including:

  ABCD Methods

  • Anthropometric methods.
  • Biochemical (Lab) methods.
  • Clinical methods.
  • Dietary evaluation methods.
• Indirect methods also include ecological variables, economic factors, cultural and social habits, and vital health statistics (morbidity, mortality, and other health indicators).