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Machine learning-based prediction of hospital-acquired malnutrition at discharge using the GLIM criteria: A multicenter real-world study

Objective This study aimed to investigate the incidence and clinical impact of hospital-acquired malnutrition (HAM) and develop a machine learning model for early risk prediction. Methods This secondary analysis included prospectively collected data from a multicenter observational study involving 34 tertiary hospitals in China. Adult patients hospitalized for 7 to 30 days were enrolled. Patients without malnutrition at admission were evaluated for HAM at discharge according to the Global Leadership Initiative o…

By the Truvace desk1 min read1 sourcePeer-reviewedTRV-2026-1922· cite & verify
Machine learning-based prediction of hospital-acquired malnutrition at discharge using the GLIM criteria: A multicenter real-world study
Giving out Beef tea in the Men's Ward, Mengo Hospital. CC BY 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

In brief

Researchers analysed prospectively collected data from 4746 adults hospitalized for 7 to 30 days at 34 tertiary hospitals in China. Patients without malnutrition at admission were reassessed at discharge using the GLIM criteria, and machine learning models were built from clinical and nutritional variables available on admission.

Malnutrition acquired in hospital appears to be a frequent and costly problem even among patients who arrive well nourished. The authors suggest the model could flag high-risk patients early for nutritional intervention, but the supplied text does not report the model's accuracy or show that acting on its predictions improves outcomes.

Main points

  1. At admission, 1364 of 4746 patients (28.7%) already had malnutrition.
  2. Of 3382 patients without baseline malnutrition, 731 (21.6%) developed hospital-acquired malnutrition.
  3. Patients with HAM had more hospital-acquired complications (9.0% versus 2.9%).
  4. HAM was linked to longer stays (14.93 versus 13.53 days) and higher costs (¥48 980 versus ¥20 640).

The problem

Among patients not malnourished on admission, about one in five developed malnutrition during hospitalization, and these patients had more complications, longer stays and higher costs.

The rundown

The study is a secondary analysis of a multicenter observational dataset. Only adults with stays of 7 to 30 days were enrolled, and HAM was defined using the GLIM criteria at discharge.

Model development used variables available at admission. Performance was assessed through discrimination, calibration and clinical utility analyses, though the supplied excerpt does not give the results of those analyses.

The comparison between patients with and without HAM covered complications, length of stay and healthcare costs. The authors conclude that HAM is common and that early identification could allow timely nutritional intervention.

Sources

  1. Peer-reviewedNutrition2026-10-14

The debate