Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements Nursing Diagnosis and Nursing Care Plan
Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements
Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements is defined by Nanda as an intake of nutrients insufficient to meet metabolic needs.
An imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements is one of the updated nursing diagnoses which means that their in insufficient or lack of intake of nutrients needed to meet the daily metabolic needs.
Adequate nutrition is very essential to the human body because it supplies the daily metabolic requirements in order to functions normally and effectively. There are some instances that adequacy in the nutritional requirements of a person is not met. This may be due to several diseases can greatly affect the nutritional status of an individual. Such diseases includes gastrointestinal malabsorption, burns, and cancer. On the other hand, physical, social, and psychological factors can be considered which may affect one’s nutrition. Physical factors such as muscle weakness, poor dentition, activity intolerance, pain, substance abuse; social factors such economic status, financial constraint; and psychological factors such boredom, dementia, depression are some of the additional causes that may affect in having adequate nutrition. Also, religious and cultural factors greatly influence the food habits of patients.
Women experiences imbalanced nutrition more often than men because of the many changes in their body. Their nutritional level or status changes during pregnancy and also presence of certain illnesses. It will also change as women ages.
Read Also: Nursing Care Plan Example for Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements
Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements Causative/Related Factors
- Inability to absorb nutrients needed by the body
- Inability to digest foods properly and completely
- Inability to ingest foods normally
- Lack of knowledge
- Unwillingness to eat
- Disturbance in the physical, social, and psychological status
Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements Defining Characteristics
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- Abdominal cramping
- Abdominal pain
- Alteration in taste sensation
- Body weight 20% or more below ideal weight range
- Capillary fragility
- Diarrhea
- Excessive hair loss
- Food aversion
- Food intake less than recommended daily allowance (RDA)
- Hyperactive bowel sounds
- Insufficient information
- Insufficient interest in food
- Insufficient muscle tone
- Misinformation
- Misperception
- Pale mucous membranes
- Perceived inability to ingest food
- Satiety immediately upon ingesting food
- Sore buccal cavity
- Weakness of muscles required for mastication
- Weakness of muscles required for swallowing
- Weight loss with adequate food intake
Nursing Assessment for Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements
| Assessment | Rationale |
| 1. Assess the patient’s knowledge on the importance and benefits of maintaining the normal nutritional body requirements | · it will determine the extent of patient’s knowledge on having a good nutritional balance. |
| 2. Check the patient’s exact weight | · It will serve as a baseline data which will help determine the presence of malnutrition |
| 3. Take a nutritional history with the participation of significant others. | · it will determine presence of nutritional problems and presence of support groups |
| 4. Ask for the presence of current illness or diseases | · It will determine the cause/s of having inadequate nutritional intake |
| 5. Look for physical signs of poor nutritional intake. | · This will provide objective data on the presence of poor nutrition which will need immediate intervention |
| 7. Evaluate the environment in which eating happens. | · It will determine if this can also cause the improper food intake of the patient |
| 8. Assess patient’s ability to obtain and use essential nutrients. | · Several factors may affect the patient’s nutritional intake, so it is necessary to assess accurately |
Goals and Outcomes
- Patient shows a better understanding of significance of maintaining proper nutrition
- Patient shows no signs of weight loss.
- Patient shows no signs of malnutrition.
- Patient takes adequate amount of food with the appropriate calories
- Patient reported better eating habits with no underlying problem
Nursing Interventions/Rationale : Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements
| Nursing Interventions | Rationale |
| Independent | |
| 1. Explain to the patient and significant others the importance of maintaining proper nutrition | · It will give a better understanding on the need of meeting the daily nutritional requirements of the body. |
| 2. Get the body weight using the standard weighing scale | · To get the actual weight and to determine if the patient’s weight meets the normal body mass index. |
| 4. Maintain proper positioning. | · It will prevent or lower risk of having aspiration when eating |
| 5. Maintain good oral hygiene | · It enhances good appetite and better taste of the food |
| 6. Encourage patient to have small, frequent feedings | · It will enhance the appetite and will have better digestion of food intake |
| 7. Discourage patient in drinking caffeinated or carbonated beverages. | · it will let the patient decrease his/her hunger. |
| 13. Encourage patient to have continuous exercise. | · It will improve metabolism |
| 15. Adapt modification to their current practices. | · Accepting the patient’s or family’s preferences shows respect for their culture. |
| Collaborative | |
| 1. Refer to a dietitian if needed | · It will determine the exact nutritional content needed by the patient and to solve any present nutritional problems. |
| 2. refer patients with physical disabilities to an occupational therapist for adaptive devices. | · This will let the patient prevent from the disruption of good nutrition |
| 3. For patients with impaired swallowing, refer him/her to a speech therapist. | · This will give appropriate intervention for the patient so as to have an improved swallowing technique |