OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the nutritional status, and the energy and nutrient intakes of a population undergoing hemodialysis at the Hospital das Clínicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil. METHODS: From a pool of 47 outpatients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis, 37 individuals (18 males and 19 females, aged 50.4 ± 16.3 years) were selected. The body-mass index was used to determine the nutritional status, and the diet was investigated through the 4-day food diary method. RESULTS: The results revealed a predominance of normal, eutrophic patients (62.2%), while presenting equal prevalence of underweight and overweight patients (18.9% of them in each case). Regarding the diet, the findings of this survey showed there was adequate protein-energy consumption. In general, the average daily intake of nutrients was adequate, except for calcium and vitamin A, which presented only <50,0% and <70,0%, respectively, of the recommended daily intake. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that careful attention should be paid to regional and national differences when considering the nutritional status and dietary intake of hemodialysis patients.
anthropometry; food consumption; renal dialysis; dietetics; chronic renal disease