Can hospitalized patients adequately estimate their own food intake? A cross-sectional pilot study

ABSTRACT Objective To assess and identify factors linked to the accuracy of patients’ food intake estimations through a self-monitoring instrument filled in by the patient. Methods This cross-sectional study approached adult hospital patients subjected to regular or therapeutic diets. The actual food intake percentage was obtained by the ratio between the actual food intake and the amount of food served x 100. Patients had to complete a food chart including 9 circles representing plates of food in percentages (increasing scale of 12.5%) to represent their food intake at lunch and/or dinner. The Bland-Altman method assessed the agreement between the actual and the estimated values. The associations between variables (age, sex, hospitalization day, diet prescription, amount of food served and actual food intake percentage) and the accuracy of the food intake estimation (adequate ±10%, overestimated and underestimated) were evaluated through univariate multinomial logistic regression. Results Ninety-six patients were evaluated (51.0% male; 44.0±15.8 years of age). The Bland-Altman analysis showed good agreement between the actual and the estimated food intake. The actual food intake percentage was the only variable associated with the accuracy of the food intake estimation. Conclusion Most patients (~70%) adequately estimated their food intake using the 9-point food chart tested. Furthermore, the only factor linked to the accuracy of the food intake estimation was the actual food-intake percentage. These findings provide preliminary support for the usefulness of this instrument. However, it must be tested in a representative sample of hospitalized patients. RESUMO Objetivo Avaliar e identificar fatores associados à acurácia da estimativa de ingestão alimentar por meio de um instrumento de monitoramento preenchido pelo próprio paciente. Métodos O presente estudo transversal incluiu adultos hospitalizados em uso de dietas regulares ou terapêuticas. A porcentagem real de ingestão alimentar foi obtida pela razão entre a ingestão alimentar real e a quantidade servida x100. Os pacientes preencheram um instrumento imagético incluindo nove círculos que representavam pratos de comida em porcentagens (escala crescente de 12,5%) da sua ingestão alimentar no almoço e/ou jantar. O método de Bland-Altman foi usado para avaliar a concordância entre os valores reais e estimados. Também foram avaliadas associações entre variáveis (idade, sexo, dia de hospitalização, prescriçã