The pediatric subjective global nutrition assessment classifies more children with cerebral palsy as malnourished compared with anthropometry

BackgroundNutrition assessment is multidimensional; however, much of the literature examining the nutritional status of children with cerebral palsy (CP) focuses on a single dimension.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to evaluate nutritional status in children and adolescents with CP by comparing results from the Pediatric Subjective Global Nutrition Assessment (SGNA) with results from traditional anthropometric measures.DesignThis study was a cross-sectional observational study.Participants/settingThis study was conducted in a tertiary hospital outpatient setting in Brisbane, Australia, from February 2017 to March 2018. A total of 89 children (63 boys) with CP aged between 2 and 18 years of age were included. All Gross Motor Function Classification System levels were observed. The majority of children were in Gross Motor Function Classification System I and II (57, 64%) compared with Gross Motor Function Classification System III to V (32, 36%). Children with feeding tubes and those acutely unwell or hospitalized were excluded.Main outcome measuresChildren were classified as well nourished, moderately malnourished, or severely malnourished by dietitians using the SGNA. Weight, height, body mass index (BMI), triceps skinfold thickness, subscapular skinfold thickness, and mid upper arm circumference were measured and converted to z scores to account for age and sex differences. Moderate malnutrition was defined by z scores\ua0−2.00 to\ua0−2.99 and severe malnutrition as ≤−3.00 z scores.Statistical analysis performedMultinomial logistic analyses were used to compare results from the SGNA and each single measurement. Continuous outcomes were transformed into z scores. Agreement was assessed with 2 categories: not malnourished and malnourished. Comparison statistics included percent agreement, sensitivity, and specificity.ResultsMore children were classified as moderately or severely malnourished by SGNA than any of the anthropometric z score cutoffs. The majority of children were well nourished (n\ua0= 63) with 20 (22%) moderately malnourished and 6 (7%) severely malnourished by SGNA. The SGNA classified 11 children as malnourished that were not classified as malnourished by BMI. Children with moderate or severe malnutrition by SGNA had lower weight (P < .001, P < .001), BMI (P < .001, P < .001), mid upper arm circumference (P < .001, P < .001), triceps skinfold thickness (P\ua0= .01, P\ua0= .007), and subscapular skinfold thickness (P\ua0= .005, P\ua0= .02) z scores than well-nourished children.ConclusionThe SGNA identified more potentially malnourished children including children classified as well nourished by the single measurements such as BMI, height, and weight. The SGNA provided a clinically useful multidimensional approach to nutrition assessment for children with CP