A critical analysis of the methodological processes applied in the studies using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition

Abstract

Although hospital malnutrition is highly prevalent worldwide, it is difficult to compare the data due to the different nutritional assessment tools used. The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition, which aims to operationalize malnutrition diagnosis, consists of five criteria: three phenotypic and two etiological criteria. Many researchers have studied the applicability and clinical relevance of Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition, and methodological standards have been established by the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition commission for the application and possible validation of the tool. This study aimed to analyze the methodological processes of the studies that compared the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition with a test tool. A literature review was conducted by the Portal Periódicos from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior between November 2020 and January 2021. This review included articles published in English between 2016 and 2021 that compared the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition with another tool used for diagnosing malnutrition. The sample had 13 articles, of which 11 did not adequately describe how the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria were applied. Only two studies utilized a combination of the phenotypic and etiological criteria. Some studies differed from the methodological recommendations of the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition commission. Thus, it seems that applying the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition in a manner different from the original framework elicited limited results regarding the applicability and reliability of the tool. Therefore, more studies should be conducted on the application of the GLIM Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition in different populations and contexts as per the patterns suggested to determine its actual applicability and reliability.