Relationship between nutritional status and the clinical outcomes of patients with and without neoplasms according to multiple correspondence analysis

Background – For many years, many studies have reported undesirable outcomes that may occur during the hospital stay of patients diagnosed with malnutrition or even at some nutritional risk. Objective – To investigate the relationship between nutritional status and clinical outcomes during hospital stay using the multiple correspondence analysis technique. Methods – This cross-sectional study included 600 patients with and without neoplasms. The following data were collected: subjective global assessment, nutritional indicators, nutritional risk screening, anthropometric data (body mass index (BMI), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), mid-upper arm muscle circumference (MUAMC), triceps skinfold thickness (TST), recent weight loss (RWL)), and habitual energy intake (HEI/ER <75%). The clinical outcomes of interest were complications, length of hospital stay (LOHS), and death. The data were analyzed by the chi-square or Fisher’s exact test at a significance level of 5%. Multiple correspondence analysis was used for the multivariate data analysis. Results – The multiple correspondence analysis map for the patients with neoplasms showed that the following characteristics were associated and represented by death, complications, and a greater likelihood of LOHS ≥7 days: underweight according to BMI; TST, MUAC, and MUAMC ≤15th percentile; malnutrition according to the subjective global assessment; at nutritional risk according to the nutritional risk screening; being male; age ≥60 years; and HEI/ER <75%. The multiple correspondence analysis map for the patients without neoplasms showed that the following characteristics were associated and represented by death: underweight according to BMI; TST ≤15th percentile; malnutrition according to the subjective global assessment; and at nutritional risk according to the nutritional risk screening. Complications and LOHS ≥7 days represented the categories male, no recent weight loss, HEI/ER <75%, MUAC and MUAMC ≤15th percentile, TST between the 15th and 85th percentiles, and age <60 years. Conclusion – The results of this study confirm an association between unsatisfactory nutritional indicators and undesirable clinical outcomes.