LB121 - ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND DIET QUALITY IN PEDIATRIC CYSTIC FIBROSIS

LB121

ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND DIET QUALITY IN PEDIATRIC CYSTIC FIBROSIS

M. Pehlivan^1,*, G. Baysoy²

¹Faculty of Health Sciences, Nutrition and Dietetics, ²Medical Faculty, İstanbul Medipol University, İstanbul, Türkiye

Rationale: This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status, dietary habits, and diet quality of children with cystic fibrosis aged 2-18 years.

Methods: The study included 58 children aged 2-18 years diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Body weight and height measurements and 3-day food records were taken to determine the nutritional status of the individuals; Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) was used for diet quality. Body weight, and height were standardized by converting them to BMI-for-age and height-for-age z scores using WHO-Anthro and WHO-Anthroplus.

Results: The mean age of the children was 7.3±3.7 years, and 89.7% of them had pancreatic insufficiency. According to the BMI-for-age Z-scores of the children included in the study, 56.9% were of normal weight, 31.1% were underweight/very underweight, and 12.1% were overweight/obese. The most common gastrointestinal complaints were abdominal pain (63.8%) and gas (50.0%). The mean KIDMED score was 6.0±2.3, and only 32.3% had good diet quality. The children's BMI-for-age Z-scores were positively correlated with the percentage of RDA met for vitamin A (r=0.440, p=0.002), vitamin B12 (r=0.301, p=0.040), biotin (r=0.393, p=0.006), and magnesium (r=0.396, p=0.006). BMI-for-age Z-score did not show a significant relationship with the percentage of RDA met for protein, fat, and fiber. However, there was a weak but statistically significant negative correlation with the percentage of RDA met for carbohydrates (r=-0.337, p=0.021). No statistically significant relationship was found between BMI-for-age Z-score and KIDMED score (r=0.138, p=0.300).

Conclusion: A significant proportion of children diagnosed with cystic fibrosis have poor nutritional status and diet quality. However, there are significant correlations between micronutrient intake and growth indicators. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive nutritional monitoring and targeted dietary interventions in this population.

References: World Health Organization. Growth reference data for 5–19 years: WHO growth reference for school-aged children and adolescents. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO Library Cataloguing ; 2009. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241547635. Accessed June 4, 2025.

L Serra-Majem, L Ribas, J Ngo, RM Ortega, A García, C Pérez-Rodrigo, et al. Food, youth and the Mediterranean diet in Spain. Development of KIDMED, Mediterranean diet quality index in children and adolescents Public Health Nutr, 7 (7) (2004), pp. 931-935

Disclosure of Interest: None declared