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The Role of Nutrition and Lifecare on Malnutrition
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The Role of Nutrition and Lifecare on Malnutrition

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Geriatric Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 August 2026 | Viewed by 1642

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Gytė Damulevičienè

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Clinical Department of Geriatrics, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: malnutrition; oropharyngeal dysphagia; sarcopenia; nutrition support
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One of the most important factors in ensuring good health at any age is good nutritional status. Health sciences study the relationship between nutrition and health at all stages of human life, and most scientific research in recent years has examined the nutritional status of older people, especially when patients are hospitalized or live in nursing/care facilities. Aging is associated with various physiological and psychological changes, thus rendering older people more vulnerable to poor nutrition. The consequences of malnutrition, such as increased morbidity and hospitalization length, the risk of re-hospitalization and complications, impaired quality of life, and increased mortality, are very serious. Therefore, malnutrition prevention helps protect against nutrition-related diseases and extends healthy life expectancy.

Considering all of these issues, this Special Issue of Nutrients, entitled "The Role of Nutrition and Lifecare on Malnutrition”, encourages researchers to submit articles that investigate the influence of nutrients on appetite and nutritional status, the effectiveness of dietary modification options, the suitability of thickeners used in daily practice, and new eating and feeding self-monitoring tools. Articles in the field of dementia and dysphagia are particularly welcome, in addition to literature reviews, articles that analyze new nutritional supplements and eating (feeding) strategies for dementia patients with malnutrition, and studies that discuss the ethical aspects of the artificial feeding of a patient suffering from advanced dementia.

Prof. Dr. Gytė Damulevičienè
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • anorexia
  • appetite stimulants
  • ethics aspects of artificial nutrition
  • feeding in dementia
  • malnutrition
  • modified diet
  • oral nutritional supplements
  • oropharyngeal dysphagia

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 3247 KB  
Article
Assessment of Hospitalized Patients’ Awareness Regarding Food for Special Medical Purposes
by Aleksandra Raczyńska-Holińska, Teresa Leszczyńska, Piotr Skotnicki, Anna Spólnik and Aneta Koronowicz
Nutrients 2026, 18(5), 808; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18050808 - 1 Mar 2026
Viewed by 222
Abstract
(1) Background: Malnutrition increases the risk of complications, prolongs the period of hospitalization, worsens the results of treatment, and increases the costs of hospital stay. Patients’ lack of knowledge on how to cope with it may increase the occurrence of these unfavorable consequences. [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Malnutrition increases the risk of complications, prolongs the period of hospitalization, worsens the results of treatment, and increases the costs of hospital stay. Patients’ lack of knowledge on how to cope with it may increase the occurrence of these unfavorable consequences. The aim of this study was to assess hospitalized patients’ awareness of foods for special medical purposes (FSMP) and to determine the perception of the dietitian’s role in the hospital treatment process. (2) Methods: The survey was conducted among patients hospitalized in one of the hospitals in the Małopolska region. The sample consisted of 100 respondents. Participation in the research was anonymous and voluntary. The author’s survey contained 14 closed- and open-ended questions. The answers were single or multiple choice. A knowledge test was used to determine the level of awareness among respondents. The maximum score was 8. Appropriately selected tests were applied to the collected data, such as Spearman’s correlation, Shapiro–Wilk’s normality test, and Levene’s and Mann–Witney’s tests. The level of statistical significance was assumed to be p ≤ 0.05. (3) Results: Respondents were most familiar with the term Nutridrink (68%). Only 66% declared they knew what foods for special medical purposes were used for. Most were unfamiliar with the concept of immunomodulatory ingredients. Statistically significant correlation was found between age and knowledge. Older patients achieved lower scores (rho = −0.32, p = 0.001). No statistical significance was found between sexes or comorbidities and knowledge on the discussed topic. A dietitian was pointed out as the expert in selecting FSMP (78.6%). The findings indicate that that 87% of respondents believe that FSMP consumption may be beneficial for nutritional status. (4) Conclusions: The results indicate limited knowledge among hospitalized patients about foods for special medical purposes. The role of dietitians in the treatment process is highly valued by respondents. The study results suggest that educational initiatives in hospitals may be relevant to increasing patient awareness. Potentially, such initiatives could increase the effectiveness of nutritional therapy and preventive measures aimed at improving patient nutritional status. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Nutrition and Lifecare on Malnutrition)
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17 pages, 3106 KB  
Article
Hydrogel-Based Finger Foods: Enhancing Nutritional Intake and Swallowing Safety in Older Persons with Dysphagia
by Enrika Lazickaitė, Milda Keršienė, Viktorija Eisinaitė, Ina Jasutienė, Gytė Damulevičienė and Daiva Leskauskaitė
Nutrients 2025, 17(20), 3289; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17203289 - 20 Oct 2025
Viewed by 1044
Abstract
Background: Dysphagia is a common problem in older adults, characterized as a swallowing disorder that prevents food from passing from the mouth to the esophagus. Besides impairing dietary intake and leading to malnutrition, dysphagia also severely restricts water intake. Purpose: This study aimed [...] Read more.
Background: Dysphagia is a common problem in older adults, characterized as a swallowing disorder that prevents food from passing from the mouth to the esophagus. Besides impairing dietary intake and leading to malnutrition, dysphagia also severely restricts water intake. Purpose: This study aimed to develop polysaccharide-based hydrogels as dysphagia-friendly finger foods designed to provide high water content and enable controlled vitamin delivery to older persons with dysphagia. Procedures: Agar–carboxymethylcellulose (Agar-CMC) composite hydrogels with incorporated vitamins C, B9, B, and D3 were developed and tested for their textural and rheological properties, vitamin stability during storage, and vitamin release under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Finally, a fiberoptic endoscopic swallowing assessment and sensory evaluation were conducted. Main Findings: Increasing the agar concentration in Agar-CMC hydrogels improved their internal structure and handling properties as finger foods, while still being easily breakable during swallowing. Agar-CMC hydrogels’ structure protected vitamins during processing and six weeks of storage. Vitamin release started immediately and remained steady in the gastric phase, with a noticeable increase at the beginning of the intestinal phase, resulting in 70–100% vitamin release by the end of this phase. The Fiberoptic Endoscopic Swallowing Evaluation confirmed their suitability for individuals with mild to moderate oropharyngeal dysphagia, with a low risk of aspiration (1 point on the Penetration-Aspiration Scale out of 8). Principal Conclusions: The developed Agar-CMC hydrogels present a promising dysphagia-friendly finger food alternative with high water content. They effectively deliver essential vitamins throughout the gastrointestinal tract, and notably demonstrate a low aspiration risk, making them suitable for individuals with mild to moderate oropharyngeal dysphagia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Nutrition and Lifecare on Malnutrition)
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