Nutritional risk markers among stroke out-patients at the neurology clinic of a teaching hospital in Ghana

INTRODUCTION: stroke survivors are at risk of malnutrition due to inadequate dietary intake, as a result of neurological disorders causing dysphagia, depression and impaired ability to self-feed. There is paucity of information on nutritional status of stroke survivors after discharge from hospital care, hence, this study sought to determine the nutritional risk markers among stroke out-patients at the Neurology Clinic of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was conducted among 106 stroke survivors at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana. Nutritional status of stroke survivors was assessed, using body mass index (BMI) and mid upper arm circumference (MUAC). Biochemical and haematological nutrition indicators including total serum protein, serum albumin, total lymphocyte count, uric acid and haemoglobin were also determined. Independent t-test and ANOVA were used to test differences between mean values. RESULTS: the mean age of study participants was 58.47±14.2 years, with 56% being females. Overall, 96 (88.7%) of the participants had malnutrition, of whom 66 (68.8%) were undernourished, while 30 (31.2%) had overnutrition. It was also found that 38.7% of the participants were anaemic, based on haemoglobin levels. Using mean BMI, stroke survivors who had been discharged over five years were significantly overweight (p = 0.010). CONCLUSION: there was high level of malnutrition among stroke out-patients in this study. The most common nutrition-related problem in the stroke survivors studied was anaemia. Findings from this study suggest the need for nutrition intervention strategies to address the high burden of malnutrition among the stroke survivors.