Department of Nutrition, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, 44839, Palestine.
BMC Cancer. 2024 Apr 25;24(1):524. doi: 10.1186/s12885-024-12289-4.
Nutritional impact symptoms (NISs) are proposed to be a key indicator of decreased dietary intake in patients with solid cancer. Cancer patients frequently experience NIS from the disease itself and from disease treatment side effects that impact oral and gastrointestinal health. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the association between NIS and dietary intake among cancer patients in the Nablus district, one of the largest districts in Palestine. This study also sought to identify the types of treatment and other factors related to dietary intake for solid cancer patients.
A cross-sectional study was conducted between October 15, 2021, and October 15, 2022. The convenience sampling technique was used to recruit participants from two primary hospital campuses for cancer treatment in the entire region of Nablus Governorate in northern Palestine. To assess the patients, structured questionnaires completed by interviewers during face-to-face interviews with patients were used. The NIS was assessed using a checklist developed based on a literature review and clinical experience. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to evaluate the correlations between sociodemographic variables and clinical variables and between the NIS and dietary intake. Multiple binary logistic regression analyses were also performed to determine the most influential variables, sociodemographic, clinical, and NIS, on dietary intake.
Data were collected from 290 patients with solid malignancies. The mean age of the participants was 55.04 ± 12.76 years. Multiple binary logistic regressions revealed that dry mouth (odds ratio (OR) = 3.742; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.800-7.780; p < 0.001), constipation (OR = 2.707; 95% CI = 1.113-6.581; p = 0.028), taste alteration (OR = 3.620; 95% CI = 1.752-7.481; p = 0.001), and feeling fullness (OR = 8.879; 95% CI = 2.982-26.441; p < 0.001) were significantly related to decreased dietary intake. Biological and hormonal treatments had an inverse association with dietary intake (OR = 0.372; 95% CI = 0.177-0.782; p = 0.009 and OR = 0.383; 95% CI = 0.168-0.874; p = 0.023, respectively).
This study revealed that many solid cancer patients have reduced food intake due to NIS, such as dry mouth and taste changes. These patients may be at risk of malnutrition. Healthcare professionals should consider these NISs to improve dietary plans and decide whether extra feeding support is needed. The results obtained indicate the need for further research focused on removing limitations in food consumption as an effect of treatment and appropriate nutritional strategies to prevent patient malnutrition.
营养影响症状（NISs）被认为是固体癌症患者饮食摄入减少的一个关键指标。癌症患者经常因疾病本身和影响口腔和胃肠道健康的疾病治疗副作用而出现 NIS。因此，本研究旨在调查在巴勒斯坦最大地区之一的纳布卢斯地区癌症患者中 NIS 与饮食摄入之间的关联。本研究还试图确定与固体癌症患者饮食摄入相关的治疗类型和其他因素。
这是一项在 2021 年 10 月 15 日至 2022 年 10 月 15 日之间进行的横断面研究。便利抽样技术用于从位于巴勒斯坦北部纳布卢斯省的两个主要癌症治疗医院校园招募参与者。为了评估患者，使用由访谈者在与患者进行面对面访谈期间填写的结构化问卷进行评估。使用基于文献综述和临床经验制定的检查表来评估 NIS。使用单变量和多变量分析评估社会人口统计学变量和临床变量与 NIS 之间以及 NIS 与饮食摄入之间的相关性。还进行了多次二元逻辑回归分析，以确定对饮食摄入有影响的最有影响力的变量，包括社会人口统计学、临床和 NIS。
从 290 名患有实体恶性肿瘤的患者中收集了数据。参与者的平均年龄为 55.04 ± 12.76 岁。多项二元逻辑回归显示，口干（比值比（OR）=3.742；95%置信区间（CI）=1.800-7.780；p<0.001）、便秘（OR=2.707；95%CI=1.113-6.581；p=0.028）、味觉改变（OR=3.620；95%CI=1.752-7.481；p=0.001）和饱腹感（OR=8.879；95%CI=2.982-26.441；p<0.001）与饮食摄入减少显著相关。生物和激素治疗与饮食摄入呈负相关（OR=0.372；95%CI=0.177-0.782；p=0.009 和 OR=0.383；95%CI=0.168-0.874；p=0.023）。
本研究表明，许多实体癌症患者因 NIS 而减少了食物摄入，例如口干和味觉改变。这些患者可能有营养不良的风险。医疗保健专业人员应考虑这些 NIS，以改善饮食计划，并决定是否需要额外的喂养支持。研究结果表明，有必要进一步研究如何消除治疗引起的食物摄入限制以及适当的营养策略，以预防患者营养不良。
