Evaluation of Nutritional Status, and Associated Factors among Adult Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients at the Oncology Department of Jimma University Medical Center Jimma, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background:-Malnutrition is a prevalent issue that significantly contributes to high morbidity and mortality rates among adult patients with gastrointestinal cancer. Increasing evidence shows that alteration of serum biomarkers, nutritional status, and malnutrition associated factors leads to life-threatening complications and influences the clinical prognosis. Yet, there is a lack of adequate empirical data regarding, serum biomarker alteration linked to tonutritional status, and malnutrition associated factors among gastrointestinal cancer patients in Ethiopia. Objective:- This study aimed to evaluate nutritional status, and associated factors among adult gastrointestinal cancer patients at Jimma University Medical Center (JUMC), Ethiopia, in 2024. Method:- A facility-based cross-sectional study design was used among 134 adult gastrointestinal cancer patients at the oncology department of JUMC, Jimma, Ethiopia, from April 1, 2024, to June 25, 2024. The study participants were selected by sing concesus sampling method of all adult gastrointestinal cancer patients who were on treatment during study period. Nutritional status was collected using the subjective global assessment tool. Data entry and statistical analysis were performed using Epi Data Version 3.1 and SPSS version 26, respectively. Descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, and bivariate and multiple logistic regression were used to determine associations, with a P value ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results:- Out of 133 participants, 78.9% (95% CI: 71.0-85.5) were malnourished, and the prevalence of electrolyte disorders among adult gastrointestinal cancer patients were 65.4% (95%CI: 56.7 to 73.4). There was a significant decrease in the mean level of Serum Albumin= 3.10±.593 vs. 3.90±.396, P= <.0001; Hemoglobin:11.92±2.083 vs. 13.79±1.410, P= <.0001; Prognostic Nutritional Index: 39.45±7.305 vs. 47.86±5.799, P= <.0001; Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index: 79.73±10.681 vs. 97.83±6.550; P = <.0001, and Nutritional Risk Index: 81.51±10.650 vs. 100.48±6.878, P = <.0001), in malnourished as compared to well-nourished patients respectively. Low serum albumin, Stage IV cancer, Poor performance status, and longer duration of illness (25 months or more), increased the risk of malnutrition by 8.29 times(AOR = 8.29, 95% CI: 2.13-32.2, P=.002; 7.59 times (AOR = 7.59, 95% CI: 1.05-25.3, P=.045; 5.77 times (AOR = 5.77, 95% CI: 1.20-27.6, P=.028), and had 7.81 times(AOR = 7.81, 95% CI: 1.47- 41.6, P=.016), respectively. Conclusion and Recommendation Malnutrition is highly prevalent among adult gastrointestinal cancer patients. There was a significant decrease in the mean level of serum albumin, hemoglobin, geriatric nutritional risk index, nutritional risk index, and prognostic nutritional index in malnourished as compared to well-nourished patients. These biomarkers are recommended as alternative or supplementary screening tools for early detection of malnutrition in adult gastrointestinal cancer patients.