Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41565614›Full record

ArticleSpinal cord series and cases2026

Towards accurate malnutrition identification in individuals with Spinal Cord Injury: a qualitative investigation.

Stephen J Keenan, Sophie I Gunter, Devni C Meewathurage, Katherine J Desneves

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Spinal cord series and cases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Stephen J KeenanDepartment of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia. s.keenan@latrobe.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0003-4601-1234
Sophie I GunterDepartment of Nursing and Allied Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.
Devni C MeewathurageDepartment of Nursing and Allied Health, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.
Katherine J DesnevesNutrition and Dietetics Department, Division of Allied Health, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-9224-3728

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

designExploratory qualitative descriptive study.

objectivesWe aimed to explore how dietitians assess and diagnose malnutrition in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI), limitations of current practice, and barriers to optimal practice, as well as improvements that could be made.

settingTwelve dietitians working in hospital, rehabilitation, and community contexts across Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Norway, South Africa, and New Zealand.

methodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted via Microsoft Teams between April and August 2024. Data were recorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically using Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis method.

resultsParticipants primarily relied on generic screening tools due to institutional policy and ease of use. They expressed concerns about distinguishing obligatory post-injury weight changes from true undernutrition, and the minimal focus on overnutrition. Practical barriers to effective malnutrition identification included limited equipment access and staffing constraints, exacerbating screening challenges. Participants advocated for SCI-specific guidelines to improve diagnostic accuracy and reduce misclassification.

conclusionsWeight-centric approaches risk misclassifying malnutrition in SCI. Tailored frameworks that incorporate functional, clinical, and psychosocial factors are needed, alongside institutional support for successful implementation. Refined tools may standardise assessment and better address malnutrition's complex aetiology in SCI. Future research should explore and validate these approaches and evaluate their implementation in diverse SCI contexts.

Indexed as

MalnutritionSpinal Cord InjuriesAustraliaFemaleHumansQualitative Research

Identifiers

PMID41565614
PMCPMC12823604

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.