Nutritional assessment of patients undergoing hemodialysis at dialysis centers in Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE This study aims to assess the nutritional status of patients undergoing hemodialysis at dialysis centers in Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil using the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), and associate it with socioeconomic, demographic and clinical variables. METHODS A total of 575 patients were evaluated at 12 dialysis centers in Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Socioeconomic, demographic, and clinical variables were gathered through interviews using a questionnaire specifically developed for this purpose. The logistic regression model was used to determine the effect or influence of each variable on the nutritional status. RESULTS Malnutrition was significantly prevalent (19.5%). Generally, the study population had low socioeconomic status, limited access to private health services, high rate of comorbidities, and received a large number of dietary recommendations, which were not necessarily appropriate. According to multivariate analysis, the risk factors for malnutrition were age over 60 years, family income at or below one minimum wage, presence of depression, and retirement. CONCLUSION Malnutrition is prevalent among patients undergoing hemodialysis. Differences in socioeconomic, demographic, clinical, and general characteristics can be used to identify patients who require more attention due to the risk of malnutrition, particularly in the elderly, retirees, and those with depression and low socioeconomic status.