What is Nutrition Screening?

December 28, 2025 •

2 min read

According to Alberta Health Services, asking specific questions about nutrition can identify people at risk of developing health problems, a process known as nutrition screening. This initial step helps pinpoint individuals who may be malnourished or at risk, guiding timely nutritional intervention and support. It is a simple yet vital part of patient care across various settings.

Quick Summary

This guide explains nutrition screening, its role in identifying nutritional risk, and the specific tools used by healthcare professionals for appropriate nutritional care and improving patient outcomes.

Key Points

Definition: Nutrition screening is a rapid process for identifying individuals who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition.
Purpose: Early identification prevents complications, improves outcomes, and reduces costs.
Screening Tools: Tools like MUST, NRS-2002, and MNA categorize nutritional risk.
Assessment vs. Screening: Screening is a quick triage; assessment is a detailed follow-up by a dietitian.
Implementation: The process includes identification, tool application, risk scoring, and referral.
Key Metrics: Tools evaluate BMI, weight loss, food intake, and disease severity.
Broad Application: Used in hospitals, clinics, and community centers.

What is nutrition screening?

Nutrition screening is a quick, systematic process designed to identify individuals who are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. It's the initial step in nutritional care, performed by trained healthcare staff. Screening is a rapid procedure, unlike a detailed nutritional assessment.

The primary objective is to catch potential nutritional problems early. Malnutrition can worsen health conditions and increase healthcare costs. Screening tools typically ask about recent weight loss, food intake changes, and disease severity to determine risk.

The Importance of Early Identification

Identifying nutritional risk is crucial as it can indicate underlying health issues. Early screening helps healthcare providers improve patient outcomes, reduce costs, prevent complications, and optimize treatment plans.

Common Nutrition Screening Tools

Several tools are used for nutrition screening.

Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST): For adults, uses BMI, weight loss, and acute disease effects.
Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002): For hospitalized patients, assesses status and disease severity.
Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA): For the elderly.

Additional tools include the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) and Subjective Global Assessment (SGA). {Link: Slideshare https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/nutrition-screening-lec-4th-sempptx/264611973} provides more details on various screening methods.

Screening vs. Assessment

Screening identifies risk, while assessment is a detailed follow-up for those at risk.


Aspect	Nutrition Screening	Nutritional Assessment
Purpose	Identify potential nutritional risk quickly.	Provide a detailed nutritional diagnosis and plan.
Who Performs	Trained healthcare staff.	A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN).
Duration	Quick, often minutes.	More time-consuming.
Parameters	Simple questions (weight loss, appetite, BMI).	Detailed history, physical exam, lab tests, dietary intake.
Outcome	Risk categorization.	Diagnostic statement, underlying pathology identification.

The Screening Process

Screening involves initial identification, applying a tool, risk scoring, and referral for assessment if needed. Patients are often re-screened.

Conclusion

Nutrition screening is a vital first step in combating malnutrition. It helps identify individuals at risk, ensuring resources for assessment. Using validated tools leads to interventions that enhance patient outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Trained healthcare professionals, including nurses or dietetic assistants, often perform screenings upon admission.

Screening is a quick initial process to identify risk, while assessment is a comprehensive evaluation by a dietitian for high-risk individuals.

Early screening identifies malnutrition risk, preventing complications, improving recovery, and decreasing healthcare costs.

Common tools include MUST, NRS-2002, and MNA (for the elderly).

High-risk patients are referred for a full nutritional assessment by a dietitian to create a care plan.

Screening results inform the treatment plan by highlighting the need for nutritional intervention, impacting patient outcomes.

No, screening identifies those already malnourished and those at risk due to factors like disease or weight loss.

Frequency depends on the setting and patient. Hospitalized patients are often screened upon admission and re-screened later.