Deck 12: Nutrition Assessment

Question 1

A 21-year-old woman has been on a low-protein liquid diet for the past 2 months. She has had adequate intake of calories and appears well nourished. After further assessment, what would the nurse expect to find?

A) Poor skin turgor
B) Decreased serum albumin
C) Increased lymphocyte count
D) Triceps skinfold less than standard

Answer 1

Decreased serum albumin

Question 2

When assessing a patient's nutritional status, what does the nurse need to recognize that sufficient nutrients need to do for optimal nutrition?

A) Provide for the minimum body needs.
B) Provide an excess of daily body requirements.
C) Provide for daily body requirements but do not support increased metabolic demands.
D) Provide for daily body requirements and support increased metabolic demands.

Answer 2

Provide for daily body requirements and support increased metabolic demands.

Question 3

The nurse is evaluating patients for obesity-related diseases by calculating the waist-to-hip ratios. Which one of these patients would be at increased risk?

A) 29-year-old woman whose waist measures 33 inches and hips measure 36 inches
B) 32-year-old man whose waist measures 34 inches and hips measure 36 inches
C) 38-year-old man whose waist measures 35 inches and hips measure 38 inches
D) 46-year-old woman whose waist measures 30 inches and hips measure 38 inches

Answer 3

29-year-old woman whose waist measures 33 inches and hips measure 36 inches

Question 4

The nurse is discussing appropriate foods with the mother of a 3-year-old child. Which of these foods are recommended?

A) Foods easy to hold such as hot dogs, nuts, and grapes
B) Foods that the child will eat, no matter what the food
C) Any food, as long as the rest of the family is eating it, too
D) Finger foods and nutritious snacks that cannot cause choking

Question 5

A 50-year-old woman with an elevated total cholesterol level is visiting the clinic to find out about her laboratory results. What would be important for the nurse to include in the patient teaching in relation to these tests?

A) The risks of undernutrition should be included.
B) Offer methods to reduce the stress in her life.
C) Provide information regarding a diet low in saturated fat.
D) This condition is hereditary; there is little she can do to change the levels.

Question 6

In teaching a patient how to determine total body fat at home, what should the nurse instruct the patient to measure?

A) Height and weight
B) Frame size and weight
C) Waist and hip circumferences
D) Mid-upper arm circumference and arm span

Question 7

The nurse is providing nutrition information to the mother of a 1-year-old child. Which of these statements represents accurate information for this age group?

A) Maintaining adequate fat and caloric intake is important for a 1-year-old child.
B) The recommended dietary allowances for an infant are the same as for an adolescent.
C) The baby's growth is minimal at this age; therefore, caloric requirements are decreased.
D) The baby should be placed on skim milk to decrease the risk for coronary artery disease when he or she grows older.

Question 8

A mother and her 13-year-old daughter express their concern r/t the daughter's recent weight gain and her increase in appetite. Which of these statements represents information the nurse should discuss with them?

A) Dieting and exercising are necessary at this age.
B) Snacks should be high in protein, iron, and calcium.
C) Teenagers who have a weight problem should not be allowed to snack.
D) A low-calorie diet is important to prevent the accumulation of fat.

Question 9

The nurse is performing a nutritional assessment on a 15-year-old girl who tells the nurse that she is "so fat." Assessment reveals that she is 5 feet 4 inches and weighs 110 pounds. What is an appropriate response by the nurse?

A) "How much do you think you should weigh?"
B) "Don't worry about it; you're not that overweight."
C) "The best thing for you would be to go on a diet."
D) "I used to always think I was fat when I was your age."

Question 10

A patient tells the nurse that his food simply does not have any taste anymore. What is the best response by the nurse?

A) "That must be really frustrating."
B) "When did you first notice this change?"
C) "My food doesn't always have a lot of taste either."
D) "Sometimes that happens, but your taste will come back."

Question 11

When considering a nutritional assessment, what should the nurse be aware is/are one of the most common anthropometric measurements?

A) Height and weight
B) Leg circumference
C) Chest and waist measurements
D) Skinfold thickness of the biceps

Question 12

In performing an assessment on a 49-year-old woman who has imbalanced nutrition as a result of dysphagia, which data would the nurse expect to find?

A) Increase in hair growth
B) Weight 10% to 20% over ideal
C) Sore, inflamed buccal cavity
D) Inadequate nutrient or food intake

Question 13

A pregnant woman is interested in breastfeeding her baby and asks several questions about the topic. Which statement by the nurse is appropriate?

A) "Babies who are breastfed often require supplemental vitamins."
B) "Breastfeeding is best when also supplemented with bottle-feedings."
C) "Breastfeeding is recommended for infants for the first 2 years of life."
D) "Breast milk provides the nutrients necessary for growth, as well as natural immunity."

Question 14

The nurse recognizes which of these people is at greatest risk for undernutrition?

A) 30-year-old man
B) 50-year-old woman
C) 5-month-old infant
D) 20-year-old college student

Question 15

For the first time, the nurse is seeing a patient who has no history of nutrition-related problems. Which activity should the initial nutritional screening include?

A) Anthropometric measures
B) Calorie count of nutrients
C) Complete physical examination
D) Measurement of weight and weight history

Question 16

During a nutritional assessment, why is it important for the nurse to ask a patient what medications he or she is taking?

A) Certain drugs can affect the metabolism of nutrients.
B) The nurse needs to assess the patient for allergic reactions.
C) Medications need to be documented in the record for the physician's review.
D) Medications can affect one's memory and ability to identify food eaten in the last 24 hours.

Question 17

A patient is asked to indicate on a form how many times he eats a specific food. This method describes which of these tools for obtaining dietary information?

A) Food diary
B) Calorie count
C) 24-hour recall
D) Food-frequency questionnaire

Question 18

If a 29-year-old woman weighs 156 pounds, and the nurse determines her ideal body weight to be 120 pounds, then how would the nurse classify the woman's weight?

A) Obese
B) Mildly overweight
C) Suffering from malnutrition
D) Within appropriate range of ideal weight

Question 19

The nurse is assessing a 30-year-old unemployed immigrant from an underdeveloped country who has been in the United States for 1 month. Which of these problems r/t his nutritional status might the nurse expect to find?

A) Obesity
B) Hypotension
C) Osteomalacia
D) Coronary artery disease

Question 20

The nurse is reviewing the nutritional assessment of an 82-year-old widowed patient. Which of these factors will most likely affect the nutritional status of this patient?

A) Increase in taste and smell.
B) Living alone on a fixed income.
C) Change in cardiovascular status.
D) Increase in gastrointestinal motility and absorption.

Question 21

Which of these interventions is most appropriate when the nurse is planning nutritional interventions for a healthy, active 74-year-old woman?

A) Decreasing the amount of carbohydrates to prevent lean muscle catabolism
B) Increasing the amount of soy and tofu in her diet to promote bone growth and reverse osteoporosis
C) Increasing the number of calories she is eating because of the increased energy needs of the older adult
D) Decreasing the number of calories she is eating because of the decrease in energy requirements from the loss of lean body mass

Question 22

During an assessment of a patient who has been homeless for several years, the nurse notices that his tongue is magenta in color, which is an indication of a deficiency in what mineral and/or vitamin?

A) Iron
B) Riboflavin
C) Vitamin C
D) Vitamin D and calcium

Question 23

Which of these conditions is due to an inadequate intake of both protein and calories?

A) Bulimia
B) Obesity
C) Marasmus
D) Kwashiorkor

Question 24

The nurse is assessing a patient who is obese for signs of metabolic syndrome. This condition is diagnosed when three or more certain risk factors are present. Which of these assessment findings are risk factors for metabolic syndrome? (Select all that apply.)

A) Triglyceride level of 120 mg/dL
B) Blood pressure reading of 110/80 mm Hg
C) Blood pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg
D) Fasting plasma glucose level less than 100 mg/dL
E) Fasting plasma glucose level greater than or equal to 110 mg/dL

Question 25

A 50-year-old patient has been brought to the emergency department after a housemate found that the patient could not get out of bed alone. He has lived in a group home for years but for several months has not participated in the activities and has stayed in his room. The nurse assesses for signs of undernutrition, and an x-ray study reveals that he has osteomalacia. What deficiency is likely the cause?

A) Iron
B) Vitamin C
C) Riboflavin
D) Vitamin D and calcium

Question 26

The nurse is assessing the body weight as a percentage of ideal body weight on an adolescent patient who was admitted for suspected anorexia nervosa. The patient's usual weight was 125 pounds, but today she weighs 98 pounds. After calculating the patient's ideal body weight, what should the nurse conclude?

A) The patient is experiencing mild malnutrition.
B) The patient is experiencing moderate malnutrition.
C) The patient is experiencing severe malnutrition.
D) The patient is still within expected parameters with her current weight.

Question 27

An older adult patient in a nursing home has been receiving tube feedings for several months. During an oral examination, the nurse notes that patient's gums are swollen, ulcerated, and bleeding in some areas. The nurse suspects that the patient has what condition?

A) Rickets
B) Vitamin A deficiency
C) Linoleic-acid deficiency
D) Vitamin C deficiency

Question 28

The nurse is performing a nutritional assessment on an 80-year-old patient. What is one of the many physiologic changes that can directly affect the nutritional status of the older adult?

A) Slowed gastrointestinal motility
B) Hyperstimulation of the salivary glands
C) Increased sensitivity to spicy and aromatic foods
D) Decreased gastrointestinal absorption causing esophageal reflux

Question 29

A patient has been unable to eat solid food for 2 weeks and is in the clinic today complaining of weakness, tiredness, and hair loss. The patient states that her usual weight is 175 pounds, but today she weighs 161 pounds. What is her recent weight change percentage? _______

Question 30

A 16-year-old girl is being seen at the clinic for gastrointestinal complaints and weight loss. The nurse determines that many of her complaints may be r/t erratic eating patterns, eating predominantly fast foods, and high caffeine intake. In this situation, which is most appropriate when collecting current dietary intake information?

A) Scheduling a time for direct observation of the adolescent during meals
B) Asking the patient for a 24-hour diet recall, and assuming it to be reflective of a typical day for her
C) Having the patient complete a food diary for 3 days, including 2 weekdays and 1 weekend day
D) Using the food frequency questionnaire to identify the amount of intake of specific foods