(P27-036-23) Nutritional Risk in Adult Chronic Schizophrenics From the Institute of Neurosciences of Guayaquil

Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate the nutritional risk and its relationship in adult inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia at the Institute of Neurosciences of Guayaquil (INC).

Methods: For the evaluation of the nutritional risk, an analytical observational study was carried out, based on convenience sampling. Anamnesis and MST screening were applied to 65 patients with chronic schizophrenia. For the analyses, inclusion criteria considered informed consent, both sexes, the age of patients between 18 and 68 years old with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, hospitalized and under treatment at the INC. The statistical anaysis included Fisher's exact test carried out in RStudio 2022.12.0.

Results: It was found that 40.3% of women and 17.7% of men surveyed with the MST were at risk of malnutrition. The difference between sexes was not statistically significant (p=0.7876). In addition, 58% of the total sample of 65 schizophrenic patients presented risk of malnutrition. The observed factors that affected nutritional status were lack of appetite, meal switching between patients with good appetite and lack of appetite, consumption of metformin for diabetes treatment and losartan to control blood pressure, state of abandonment, junk food consumption promoted by some relatives, and schizophrenia caused by excessive drug use. Reported nutritional secondary effects from metformine consumption include dysgeusia, low levels of vitamin B12, loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting and nausea. The secondary effects from losartan are minor but involve diarrhea, vomiting and nausea.

Conclusions: Patients with chronic schizophrenia are at high risk of malnutrition, however, gender is not a significative risk factor. The factors that affect nutritional status described above should be considered for treatment.

Funding Sources: The study was founded by the authors.