Nutritional status and quality of life of individuals after COVID-19

Objective: The COVID-19 infection that emerged at the end of 2019 quickly spread globally and became a pandemic. In addition to the high morbidity and mortality rates caused by the disease in its acute phase, it has been understood that individuals may develop long-term symptoms after the infection, which may negatively affect nutrition and quality of life. The aim of this study is to evaluate the nutritional status and quality of life of individuals following the acute recovery period after COVID-19 infection. In this context, patients' nutritional levels, respiratory function tests, quality of life scores, and clinical data related to the disease process were analyzed together. Method: This cross-sectional and retrospective study included patients who were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of Şanlıurfa Mehmet Akif İnan Training and Research Hospital, Ministry of Health, between June 1, 2020, and December 1, 2022, and who subsequently visited the outpatient clinic. A total of 200 patients were included in the study. Data related to the patients' hospitalization process and outpatient follow-up after discharge were obtained from the Şanlıurfa Mehmet Akif İnan Training and Research Hospital Patient Data System and the Public Health Management System (HSYS).SPSS 27.0 statistical software was used for data analysis. The statistical alpha significance level was set at p<0.05. Results: Of the 200 patients included in the study, 130 (65,0%) were male and 70 (35,0%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 51,5±12.1. According to the Body Mass Index (BMI), the majority of participants (67.5%) were obese. Chronic diseases were present in 115 (57,5%) of the participants. Hypertension and diabetes (35,0%) were the most common chronic diseases observed in the patients. The average hospital stay was 12,2 ± 7.2 days, and the average intensive care unit stay was 6.0 ± 5.0 days. The proportion of patients with any symptoms was 81,0%. The types of symptoms were, in order of frequency, respiratory distress, fatigue/weakness, forgetfulness, and cough. The presence of symptoms was statistically significantly higher in women, those with chronic illnesses, and those with diabetes and hypertension. According to SFT (Respiratory Function Test) analysis, 131 patients (72,0%) were normal, 13 patients (7,1%) were obstructive, and 38 patients (20,9%) were restrictive. The EQ-5D General Quality of Life total score average was 88,9 ± 10,3; the VAS (Visual Analog Scale) score average was 83,2±10,8. In individuals over the age of 60, the presence of problems in the mobility, daily activities, and pain subdimensions was found to be significantly high. In patients with chronic diseases, the presence of problems in the daily activities and pain subdimensions was found to be significantly high. In men, in those without chronic diseases, and in those without asthma and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), the EQ-5D total score and VAS score were found to be statistically significantly high. While 89,0% of patients (n=178) had normal nutritional status, 10,0% (n=20) were at risk of malnutrition and 1,0% (n=2) were malnourished. The mean VAS score of patients with normal nutritional status was significantly higher than that of patients at risk of malnutrition or malnourished patients. Conclusion: Based on the data obtained from our study, both deterioration in nutritional status and a decline in quality of life were observed in individuals who had contracted COVID-19, revealing that the long-term effects of COVID-19 have a significant impact on individuals' overall health. Due to this finding, it is of great importance to monitor and re-evaluate patients in the risk group in the long term after COVID-19.