Behavioral disorders and their correlation with nutritional status of children, complete the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and embryonic central nervous system tumors

Background. A violation of nutritional status (obesity) and emotional-behavioral status (depression) is one of the urgent problems of modern health care. Often these two problems are at the same time. Particularly striking manifestations of a decrease in nutritional and emotional statuses are observed in children with oncological diseases of various origins.

Objective: to assess the emotional-behavioral status and nutritional status in pediatric cancer and hematological diseases after treatment.

Materials and methods. The study included 112 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 49) and central nervous system tumors (n = 63) in remission. Age 6–18 years (median 11.5 years). 66 male (58.9 %). The Aachenbаch questionnaire was used to assess the behavioral and individual-personality characteristics. CDI (children depression inventory) questionnaire was used to assess the presence and level of depression. Body mass index (in percentile terms) and body tissue composition by bioimpedance analysis (body fat and lean body mass were evaluated) were used to assess nutritional status.

Results. As a result, it was found that a significant proportion of children have delayed effects of treatment in the form of reduced nutritional status and emotional and behavioral difficulties. Children with brain tumors have an increased risk of nutritional and emotional-behavioral disorders compared to children who have survived acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The nutritional and emotional-behavioral statuses of children are related: the presence of excess fat mass increases the risk of emotional-behavioral disorders. According to questionnaires, parents identify detected problems much more often than patients themselves.

Conclusion. In children who have experienced antitumor treatment and achieved remission, in case of excess body fat, the risk of emotionalbehavioral disorders increases. Emotional-behavioral disorders can have a negative effect on rehabilitation measures; therefore, before starting rehabilitation measures it is necessary to take into account the nutritional and emotional-behavioral status of patients.

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