NSA: Validity and Reliability of Tools (2018)

Author and Year:
Lawson C, Campbell K et al, 2012
PubMed ID:
Article Title:
Assessing the validity and reliability of the MUST and MST nutrition screening tools in renal inpatients.
Authors:
Lawson C, Campbell K, Dimakopoulos I, Dockrell M
Journal:
Journal of Renal Nutrition: The Official Journal of the Council on Renal Nutrition of the National Kidney Foundation.
Year of publication:
2012
Volume:
22
Issue:
5
Page numbers:
499-506.
Study Design:
Diagnostic, Validity or Reliability Study
Risk of Bias Assessment Rating:
Positive
Inclusion Criteria:
Patients with acute kidney injury, chronic renal failure and established renal failure (on HD, peritoneal dialysis or transplant).
Exclusion Criteria:
  • Patients judged by nursing or medical staff to be unsuitable (either owing to medical concerns or cognitive impairment), including prisoners and patients with learning disabilities, mental illness, dementia, terminal illness, unconscious patients, patients in emergency situations and those unable to consent for themselves
  • For patients taking part in the construct validity arm of the study, additional exclusion criteria included patients with a history of hip or knee replacements or use of pacemakers owing to safety concerns when using the body composition monitor
  • Amputees.
Research Purpose:
To determine the validity and reliability of the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) in hospital inpatients with renal disease.
Blinding efforts:
Nurses or nursing students carried out all nutrition screening assessments and dietitians conducted all of the SGA assessments (blinded to screening tool completion). Toward the end of the study, 20 of the nutrition screening assessments (10.5%) in the concurrent validity study were not blinded because of staff limitations.
Study Location:
UK
Source(s) of Funding:
Government, University/Hospital
Please specify names of funders:
Research and Development Department, Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Quality Criteria Checklist: Primary Research
Relevance Questions
  1. Would implementing the studied intervention or procedure (if found successful) result in improved outcomes for the patients/clients/population group? (Not Applicable for some epidemiological studies) Yes
  2. Did the authors study an outcome (dependent variable) or topic that the patients/clients/population group would care about? Yes
  3. Is the focus of the intervention or procedure (independent variable) or topic of study a common issue of concern to dieteticspractice? Yes
  4. Is the intervention or procedure feasible? (NA for some epidemiological studies) Yes
 
Validity Questions
1. Was the research question clearly stated? Yes
  1.1. Was (were) the specific intervention(s) or procedure(s) [independent variable(s)] identified? Yes
  1.2. Was (were) the outcome(s) [dependent variable(s)] clearly indicated? Yes
  1.3. Were the target population and setting specified? Yes
2. Was the selection of study subjects/patients free from bias? Yes
  2.1. Were inclusion/exclusion criteria specified (e.g., risk, point in disease progression, diagnostic or prognosis criteria), and with sufficient detail and without omitting criteria critical to the study? Yes
  2.2. Were criteria applied equally to all study groups? Yes
  2.3. Were health, demographics, and other characteristics of subjects described? Yes
  2.4. Were the subjects/patients a representative sample of the relevant population? Yes
3. Were study groups comparable? Yes
  3.1. Was the method of assigning subjects/patients to groups described and unbiased? (Method of randomization identified if RCT) N/A
  3.2. Were distribution of disease status, prognostic factors, and other factors (e.g., demographics) similar across study groups at baseline? Yes
  3.3. Were concurrent controls or comparisons used? (Concurrent preferred over historical control or comparison groups.) Yes
  3.6. If diagnostic test, was there an independent blind comparison with an appropriate reference standard (e.g., "gold standard")? Yes
4. Was method of handling withdrawals described? Yes
  4.1. Were follow-up methods described and the same for all groups? Yes
  4.2. Was the number, characteristics of withdrawals (i.e., dropouts, lost to follow up, attrition rate) and/or response rate (cross-sectional studies) described for each group? (Follow up goal for a strong study is 80%.) Yes
  4.3. Were all enrolled subjects/patients (in the original sample) accounted for? Yes
  4.5. If diagnostic test, was decision to perform reference test not dependent on results of test under study? Yes
5. Was blinding used to prevent introduction of bias? Yes
  5.2. Were data collectors blinded for outcomes assessment? (If outcome is measured using an objective test, such as a lab value, this criterion is assumed to be met.) Yes
  5.5. In diagnostic study, were test results blinded to patient history and other test results? ???
6. Were intervention/therapeutic regimens/exposure factor or procedure and any comparison(s) described in detail? Were interveningfactors described? Yes
  6.2. In observational study, were interventions, study settings, and clinicians/provider described? Yes
  6.3. Was the intensity and duration of the intervention or exposure factor sufficient to produce a meaningful effect? N/A
  6.8. In diagnostic study, were details of test administration and replication sufficient? Yes
7. Were outcomes clearly defined and the measurements valid and reliable? Yes
  7.2. Were nutrition measures appropriate to question and outcomes of concern? Yes
  7.4. Were the observations and measurements based on standard, valid, and reliable data collection instruments/tests/procedures? Yes
  7.5. Was the measurement of effect at an appropriate level of precision? Yes
  7.6. Were other factors accounted for (measured) that could affect outcomes? ???
  7.7. Were the measurements conducted consistently across groups? Yes
8. Was the statistical analysis appropriate for the study design and type of outcome indicators? Yes
  8.1. Were statistical analyses adequately described and the results reported appropriately? Yes
  8.2. Were correct statistical tests used and assumptions of test not violated? Yes
  8.3. Were statistics reported with levels of significance and/or confidence intervals? Yes
  8.4. Was "intent to treat" analysis of outcomes done (and as appropriate, was there an analysis of outcomes for those maximally exposed or a dose-response analysis)? N/A
  8.5. Were adequate adjustments made for effects of confounding factors that might have affected the outcomes (e.g., multivariate analyses)? N/A
  8.6. Was clinical significance as well as statistical significance reported? Yes
  8.7. If negative findings, was a power calculation reported to address type 2 error? N/A
9. Are conclusions supported by results with biases and limitations taken into consideration? Yes
  9.1. Is there a discussion of findings? Yes
  9.2. Are biases and study limitations identified and discussed? Yes
10. Is bias due to study's funding or sponsorship unlikely? Yes
  10.1. Were sources of funding and investigators' affiliations described? Yes
  10.2. Was the study free from apparent conflict of interest? Yes