Abstract
PURPOSE: Detecting the risk of malnutrition in pediatric patients using simple, rapid, and validated screening tools is important. The most frequently used screening tools are the Screening Tool for the Assessment of Malnutrition in Pediatrics (STAMP), Pediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score (PYMS), and Screening Tool for Risk on Nutritional Status and Growth (STRONG-kids). We aimed to assess the value of STAMP as a nutritional screening tool for the evaluation of nutritional status compared to other tools in children with respiratory tract infections (RTIs) admitted to a single tertiary referral hospital in a low/middle-income country. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 80 children aged 1-12 years who were admitted for RTIs. Each participant was evaluated anthropometrically, and three screening tools (STAMP, PYMS, and STRONG-kids) were used. RESULTS: Anthropometric measurements showed that 65% of the patients were stunted, 77.5% were underweight, and 60% were wasted. The STAMP score showed the most sensitivity (91.9%) and specificity (77.8%) in predicting malnutrition compared to weight-for-age, while STRONG-kids showed a sensitivity of 85.5% and specificity of 50%. Similarly, the STAMP score showed the most sensitivity (88.7%) and specificity (77.8%) in predicting malnutrition compared to height-for-age, while STRONG-kids showed a sensitivity of 81.8% and specificity of 29.6%. CONCLUSION: The STAMP is a reliable screening tool for malnutrition in children admitted for RTIs. In addition, STRONG-kids is a simple and quick nutritional screening tool for hospitalized children, and it predicts nutritional status on admission.