O Mundo da Saúde (Jul 2020)
Analysis of the quality indicators of diets offered to cancer patients
Abstract
Individuals undergoing cancer treatment often have poor appetite and reduced food acceptance, and it is important to monitor consumption indicators and diet acceptability. The objective of this study was to evaluate quality (efficacy) indicators by means of the satisfaction index, the acceptability of the diet’s (sensory) characteristics and the service offered, the wasteconsumption ratio, and the portion sizes of meals served to cancer patients at a referral hospital in Belém, PA. Data were collected from January to March/2019, during lunch and dinner at the mastology, urology, thoracic surgery, gynecology and nephrology clinics of a public hospital in Belém, PA. 45 patients, of both genders, between 20 and 89 years old participated. 55.6% were from the interior of the State, 77.8% were surgical patients, and 66.7% had more than one correlated risk factor. Satisfaction was assessed based upon the acceptability of the prepared food using a self-administered questionnaire. For the analysis of waste-consumption and diet portion sizes, the weight of the meals before and after consumption was used. The satisfaction rate was 75.6% and the waste-consumption ratio 37%. There was a lack of standardization in the portion sizes of meals. Regarding sensory aspects, "flavor" was the worst rated item, and in relation to the service, "politeness" was the best rated. The results showed that satisfaction was considered “regular”, the waste-consumption index was classified as “very bad”, and some aspects were negatively evaluated. This indicates the need for further studies and the establishment of strategies for improving the service and, thus, improving the quality indicators of diets offered to cancer patients.
