Objective: The study objective was to validate the use of subjective global assessment (SGA) in assessing the prevalence of malnutrition among patients on hemodialysis in Jordan by comparing SGA grades with anthropometric and biochemical measurements.
Design: This was a cross-sectional survey.
Setting: The study was performed at hospital hemodialysis units.
Patients: End-stage renal-failure outpatients (n = 178; 94 women and 84 men; mean age +/- SD, 43.9 +/- 14.6 years) who underwent hemodialysis were recruited from five large Jordanian hospitals. The obtained data were compared with tabulated measurements of the reference population in term of age and sex.
Main outcome measures: Subjective global assessment, anthropometric (dry weight, body mass index, fat percentage, fat mass, triceps skinfold thickness, mid-arm circumference, mid-arm muscle circumference, and arm muscle area), and biochemical (albumin, total protein, hemoglobin, creatinine, urea, cholesterol, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium) measurements were assessed in all patients.
Results: In this study, 56.2% of patients on hemodialysis were moderately malnourished, and 5.6% were severely malnourished. Age was inversely associated with patients' nutritional status as well as SGA grades. The findings also suggest a significant (P < .001) decrease in some anthropometric parameters (dry weight, body mass index, fat percentage, fat mass, triceps skinfold thickness, mid-arm circumference, mid-arm muscle circumference, and arm muscle area) with advanced malnutrition.
Conclusion: A comparison of SGA grades with biochemical and anthropometric variables indicated that SGA could be used to assess nutritional status in patients on hemodialysis. Overall, about 38.2% of patients were well-nourished. Age and duration of hemodialysis appeared to be associated with nutritional status.