Why knowing more about your nutritional or swallowing risk is important
Identifying nutritional or swallowing problems is important for your COVID-19 recovery, health and wellbeing.
You may be at risk of poor nutrition if you are not eating well, are losing weight without trying, are underweight or have swallowing problems. Healthcare professionals often use the word 'malnutrition' to describe poor nutrition. Malnutrition can make it harder to recover from illness.
The tools and checklist below can help you learn more about your risk of nutritional or swallowing problems. These tools help you screen for your risk. Advice on what to do next is provided.
Speak to your healthcare professional if you are concerned about your nutrition or swallowing. Your symptoms, diet and nutritional state may change over time so re-checking your risk of nutritional problems can be helpful.
Please note that these tools may not be appropriate if you are under the age of 18, pregnant, have a disorder with your height or have an eating disorder.
The BAPEN Malnutrition Self-Screening Tool
The BAPEN Malnutrition Self-Screening tool can help you find out if you are at risk of malnutrition (undernutrition).
This tool asks for your:
- Height (metric [metre] or imperial [feet and inches]). Most adults will know their height so will not need to measure this
- Weight from three to six months ago (metric [kg] or imperial [stones and pounds])
- Current weight (metric [kg] or imperial [stones and pounds])
Weight
If you don't have scales to weigh yourself:
- Ask a friend or family member if you can use their scales
- Most GP surgeries have scales you can use for free
- Your local pharmacy, leisure centre or gym may have scales you can use
If you cannot remember your weight from three to six months ago, these signs can suggest a change in weight:
- How well do your clothes fit - are they looser or tighter? Have you changed size?
- Have your belt, rings or watch strap become looser or tighter?
- Have dentures become loose with weight loss?
- If you have not been trying to lose weight, you may be at risk of malnutrition
Body mass index (BMI)
Your BMI is calculated automatically for you within the self-screening tool.
You can be at risk of malnutrition with a low, healthy or high BMI.
BMI cannot tell the difference between fat and muscle. If you have a high amount of muscle, you may be wrongly classed as overweight by BMI. This is why screening tools for malnutrition are needed, as they do not just rely on BMI.
What do the screening tool scores mean?
Your risk of malnutrition from the self-screening tool may be:
- Low (score of 0)
- Medium (score of 1)
- High (score of 2 or more)
What should I do next?
The tool gives information on what to do next.
This may include making changes to your diet or speaking with your GP or healthcare professional for support and advice. Some people may also need a nutritional assessment and specialist advice from a registered nutrition expert, such as a dietitian.
The Patients Association Nutrition Checklist
The Patients Association Nutrition Checklist [PDF] uses questions to help begin conversations about the risk of poor nutrition (malnutrition).
The checklist gives a guide for signs that you may need help. It can help you understand if you need to make dietary changes, need a nutritional assessment or dietary advice. It also provides information on how to find help.
Self assessment tool for swallowing problems
Swallowing problems can make it harder to eat and drink your usual diet. This can put you are risk of poor nutrition (malnutrition).
The Melbourne ENT Group website [PDF] provides a self-assessment tool to screen for swallowing problems.
Talk to your healthcare professional if you are worried about your swallowing. Tell them your score from the self-assessment tool. If your score is 3 or more, you may need further assessment and advice. Contact your GP surgery or healthcare professional for advice, as you may need a referral to an NHS speech and language therapist or dietitian.
Your symptoms may change over time so re-checking your risk of nutritional or swallowing problems can be helpful.