Abstract
BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is a determining factor of pediatric mortality and morbidity, especially in low and middle-income countries. Hospitalized children are at a higher risk of malnutrition. Several malnutrition screening tools have been used, among which STAMP, PYMS, and STRONGkids are valid tools with high sensitivity and specificity. The aim of this study was to compare these screening tools to find the best ones in identifying the risk of malnutrition in hospitalized children. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study performed on hospitalized children aged 1 to 16 years. The questionnaires of PYMS, STAMP, STRONGkids malnutrition risk assessment tools were filled. The weight for height and BMI for age Z-scores were calculated. The data were analyzed by SPSS. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive values of the risk scores based on weight for height and BMI for age Z-scores were calculated. RESULTS: Ninety-three patients with a mean age of 5.53 ± 3.9 years were included. The frequency of malnutrition was reported as 26% and 39% according to weight for height and BMI for age Z-scores, respectively. A significant relationship was found between PYMS and Weight for height Z-score (P-value < 0.001), and BMI for age Z-score (P-value < 0.001). Moreover, STRONGkids was found to be associated with weight for height Z-score (P-value: 0.017). CONCLUSION: The PYMS is a practical and beneficial tool in early identifying the risk of severe malnutrition in hospitalized patients. It is a suitable method for patients in our settings.