Hospitalized Patients’ Perceptions of Malnutrition Infographics: A Preliminary Study

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the perception of hospitalized patients towards two educational malnutrition infographics. Methods: A cross-sectional intercept interview was conducted with participants with a nutrition diagnosis of “malnourished” as determined by subjective global assessment. Participants were asked to provide feedback on two different infographics on malnutrition. Results: Nineteen out of 50 (38%) participants consented to participate. Most participants (n = 13/19, 68.4%) had been hospitalized for at least one week. Of the participants, 78.9% (n = 15/19) found the information in both infographics useful. Fifty-eight percent (n = 11/19) said a dietitian had come to see them. Twenty-six percent (n = 5/19) had identified that living alone would be a barrier to eating to meet needs after leaving the hospital, while 26.3% (n = 5/19) identified poor appetite as a challenge. Sixty-three percent (n = 12/19) of participants reported that the words “loss of independence” on infographic 1 stood out to them the most, whereas the words “fuel up to heal up” were noted for infographic 2. Discussion: Participants related to messages that aligned with their health experiences. Participants provided practical tips such as using simpler texts and images in the posters. Future research should examine the effectiveness of infographics in motivating patients to increase their dietary intake.