Prevalence of malnutrition and its relationship to socio-economic variables for cancer patients admitted to Shohada-ye-Tajrish hospital in 2010

Cancer is a major public health concern and the third leading cause of death in Iran. The incidence of different types of cancer vary among populations and are related to occupational، social، cultural، racial، geographic، and nutritional variables. This study assessed the prevalence of malnutrition and its relationship to socio-economic variables in cancer patients admitted to Shohada-ye-Tajrish hospital، which is affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Tehran. The data of this study was obtained from the Cancer Research Center of Shohada-ye-Tajrish hospital and a standard PG-SGA questionnaire. The data set was for 300 patients admitted to the oncology ward of the hospital in Tehran، Iran in 2010. The data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA and the chi-square test using SPSS 16. 0، which allowed examination of the quantitative and qualitative variables of this research، respectively. SGA scores indicated that the prevalence of mild-to-moderate energy-protein malnutrition was 30% and severe malnutrition was 23% in cancer patients. The highest incidence of malnutrition was for gastrointestinal malignancies and the highest percentage of normal nutritional status was for breast cancer. The relationship between cancer type and age for the prevalence of malnutrition was statistically significant (p < 0. 001 and p < 0. 004 respectively). No significant statistical relationships were observed for the prevalence of energy-protein malnutrition in cancer patients by sex، educational level، insurance status، occupation، income sources، or type of treatment. The prevalence of energy-protein malnutrition in cancer patients was considerable. Continuous evaluation of the nutritional status of cancer patients and the socioeconomic factors affecting it are important throughout the treatment period to prevent side effects influencing the treatment and remission rates of cancer، increase the effectiveness of cancer treatments، and improve the quality of life of patients. Monitoring can also be effective in preventing the development of malnutrition and the resulting quality of life in patients and can play a role in related research in this field.