Assessment of the Nutritional Status of Individuals

Code:

LCN2101

Acronym:

AVAENI

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Natural Sciences
OFICIAL	Health Sciences

Instance: 2023/2024 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	https://moodle.up.pt/course/view.php?id=416
Course/CS Responsible:	Nutrition Sciences

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
CNUP	105	Official plan	2	-	6	56	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The exponential advances in Nutrition Science have led to the need for advanced training in nutritional assessment at the individual level.
These new challenges require the acquisition of competencies in the assessment of nutritional status, which includes not only the knowledge of the different equipment, concepts, and techniques but also the accuracy of measurements, and ethical conduct inherent to biological measurements in individuals.
The link between scientific and technological advances, with the acquisition of competencies and a professional attitude, provides us with a remarkable opportunity to improve quality and efficiency in the assessment of nutritional status.

Learning outcomes and competences

Taking all this into account, with theoretical and laboratory working sessions regarding nutritional status assessment, the aim is for students to gain:
1. Knowledge:

• to understand the relevance of the individual's nutritional status assessment;


• master the concepts, the theories, the principles, as well as the techniques inherent to this process;


• to know the material and the equipment for nutritional status assessment.

2. Skills:

• to know how to choose the most appropriate methodology for the nutritional assessment of an individual and its´ condition;


• to understand how to select the equipment, apply the techniques and complete the tasks;


• to handle with dexterity the equipment and the materials;


• to know how to evaluate and interpret the results of the different dimensions that compose the nutritional status assessment. To be able to integrate this information in order to formulate an opinion on the nutritional status of the individual;


• to develop autonomous work capacity.

 3. Competencies:

• to have proven autonomy in the assessment of nutritional status, particularly in the selection and application of methods;


• to have the ability to carry out the nutritional status evaluation of an individual with rigour and with appropriate personal conduct, inherent to biological measurements in individuals.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. Presentation of the teacher, the course unit, the aims, the program of work, and teaching and assessment methods.
2. Anthropometry:

• the individual and ethical issues;


• the anatomical sites of measurement;


• equipment, measurement units, and calibration;


• techniques;


• errors;


• calculation of derived indices;


• the interpretation of results and the reference anthropometric data;


• assessment of groups with special needs: people with reduced functional capacity, children, pregnant women, and older adults.

3. Techniques for assessing body composition.
4. Clinical indicators. The physical exam focused on nutrition.
5. Laboratory indicators.
6. Physical function assessment. 
7. The nutritional status dysfunctions: undernutrition, obesity, cachexia, sarcopenia, and frailty. Tools for screening and assessment of nutritional status. 
8. Multidisciplinary work and interaction with other professionals.

Mandatory literature

Stewart Arthur D.; International standards for anthropometric assessment. ISBN: 0-620-36207-3
Beth Mordarski and Jodi Wolff; Nutrition Focused Physical Exam Pocket Guide., Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2017. ISBN: 978-0-88091-966-1
David C. Nieman; Nutritional assessment. ISBN: 978-1-260-08448-1

Complementary Bibliography

A. Roberto Frisancho; Anthropometric standards. ISBN: 978-0-472-11591-4
Steven B. Heymsfield; Human body composition. ISBN: 0-7360-4655-0

Comments from the literature

As the work: "International standards for anthropometric assessment", The International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (2019) by Francisco Esparza-Ros et al, is intended only for people who attend the ISAK accreditation course, we will use in this UC manual and the manual prepared by the Regent, both available on Moodle.

Teaching methods and learning activities

The base of theoretical teaching is the exposure of subjects to the students. Students are encouraged to contribute. "Hands-on" activities and intensive training will take place so that students can handle the equipment; recognize signs and symptoms of changes in nutritional status and the most appropriate methodological option. Strategies for enriching the study:

1. practice the assessment of nutritional status outside of class, with the help of the lecturer.
2. class slides are placed on the Moodle website of the course;
3. a tutorial period is assigned to students.
4. Students are invited to attend conferences, Master's, or PhD discussions on relevant themes. 

Software

The WHO Anthro Software, disponível em https://www.who.int/tools/child-growth-standards/software

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	65,00
Trabalho laboratorial	25,00
Participação presencial	10,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	106,00
Frequência das aulas	56,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

According to the legislation, "it is considered that a student meets attendance (...) if he does not exceed the limit number of absences, corresponding to 25% of the classes of Laboratory type".

Calculation formula of final grade

The final classification corresponds to:

1. theoretical component, which is worth 15 values;
2. laboratory evaluation, with a rating of 5 values.
3. participation in Theoretical, Theoretical-Practical, and Laboratory classes with a rating of 2 values. The student is considered to have participated in the classes when he/she has accomplished the assiduity of all the different types of classes.

In each of the two first components, it will be necessary to obtain the minimum grade, corresponding to 50% of the mark.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

To pass the course unit, the frequency of laboratory classes is required. These students will have as an alternative to attending the laboratory classes, the possibility of carrying out laboratory work to be combined with the professor. These works must be delivered by the end of the semester.

Given the valuation of participation in Theoretical, Theoretical-practical and Laboratory classes in two values and the possibility that students in these circumstances cannot participate, these students will be able to obtain this score through additional questions in the final exams.

Classification improvement

In accordance with FCNAUP general rules, at "Época de Recurso".

Observations

The contents of the course are on the Moodle platform, accessible to all students.

The working hours with the Professor will be scheduled at the beginning of the semester according to students' availability, in the Body Composition Laboratory, Room 0.403.