Introduction To Nutritional Assessment

CONCEPT 3- THE INTERVIEW

This concept is taken from module 1

Introduction- Interview focuses on data collection and understanding of data. Interview should contain all relevant information.

During the interview, the client’s psychological; socio cultural, spiritual and physiological responses should be noted so as to know the type of care the client will require.

Interview is always conducted before physical examination.

Significance- Interview is conducted to take note of client/patient’s symptoms. It is useful in creating rapport with the client. Interview is used to gather health history, and patient has the opportunity of passing information across.

Critical Evaluation

Personal-The Interview

Before coming to the hospital, many patients

Introduction- Nutritional Assessment

Nutritional assessment means objective and subjective methods of evaluating an individual’s food intake, nutrient intake, lifestyle, and medical history. The data collated are organized and it helps the health practitioner to assess and evaluate the individual’s nutritional status.

Significance –Nutritional Assessment

Assessment of an individual’s nutritional status helps the health practitioner to plan care and design the care so as to help the individual to either maintain the assessed status or to achieve a healthier one. It can also be used to identify whether an individual or group of people are at risk of becoming malnourished.

Nutritional assessment also helps to ascertain whether the nutritional programs and intervention initiated are effective or not.

Critical Evaluation

Personal- Nutritional

All the children that come to the clinic have the anthropometric measurement carried out on them at least once a month. The findings are plotted on growth charts over a period of time to monitor the growth rate of the child. Parents are then advised accordingly.

Research on Nutritional Assessment The warning signs of poor nutrition are often overlooked. This checklist finds out if a person is at nutritional risk. The score a person gets determines the nutritional status.

I have an illness/condition that made me change the kind or amount of food I eat. 2

I eat fewer than two meals per day. 3

I eat few fruits or vegetables or milk products. 2

I have three or more drinks of beer, liquor, or wine almost every day. 2

I have tooth or mouth problems that make it hard for me to eat. 2

I don’t always have enough money to buy the food I need. 4

I eat alone most of the time. 1

I take three or more different prescribed or over-the-counter drugs a day. 1

Without wanting to, I have lost or gained ten pounds in the past six months.