Development of Muscle Function & Protein Intake Score Card; A Web Based Nutrition Assessment Application for Dietitians

Abstract

Background: Muscle Function Protein Score (MFPS) is the first nutrition assessment tool developed  for practising dieticians that integrates and quantifies nutrient intake with other variables such as physical activity, hand grip strength  and calf circumference. MFPS is a quick digital web-based application designed and tested for it’s reliability to predict sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass and strength). It is a simple tool that provides a risk score with nutritional status. The score is auto generated which helps to devise a comprehensive nutrition care plan.

Objective: This study examined the reliability of the web-based application by a Dietitian in a clinical setting and provide a digital tool to generate the risk score to assess the nutritional status of the patients

Methods: 632 healthy participants visiting health check-up department of tertiary care hospital were screened.  604 participants  cconsented  to undergo detailed Nutritional assessment  including Body Mass Index, Hand Grip Strength (HGS) of both dominant and non-dominant hands, calf circumference and  Energy, Protein, Fat & Carbohydrate were  estimated with the 24-hour diet recall  The data collected was applied based on standard  reference values, and screening criteria for obtaining the  risk scores.

Results: The web-based application was statistically tested to ensure the reliability using cronbach’s alpha which increased significantly to 0.955 indicating excellent internal consistency while tested on a sample size of 604 participants , suggesting that as the hand grip strength decreases, the risk indicated by the muscle function protein score increases while this association is stronger than for any of the other variables examined. Hand grip strength of both the hands showed a statistically significant association with the muscle function protein risk score obtained. 

Conclusion: MPFS is user friendly and developed such that  the domain does not save any data or input provided by the user hence thereby safe guarding the privacy of the client’s data as well as that of the user.The developed web-based application is a reliable digital tool that can be used to generate the risk score for loss of muscle function correlating it with the dietary  intake of protein and physical activity that providing  a comprehensive report for practising dietitian to  help her to improving the nutritional status  of patients assessed ,also helps to  recommend  any further nutritional assessments techniques required to be carried out  s  body composition analysis and biochemical investigations , to plan  a comprehensive nutrition care plan.