Are Prognostic Nutritional Index Levels Associated with Prognosis in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa?

<jats:p>The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between prognostic nutritional index (PNI) levels and sociodemographic data, disease characteristics, comorbidity, and prognosis in children and adolescents diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN). The study included 45 patients diagnosed with AN and 42 healthy controls. The researcher administered the Sociodemographic Data Form, the Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Interview Schedule for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS), the General Assessment Scale for Children (CGAS) to both groups, and the Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-SS) to the patient group. Eating Attitude Test (EAT), Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Self-Reflection and Insight Scale, The Revised Child Anxiety Depression Scale–Child Version (RCADS-CV), Leyton Obsession Inventory-Child Version (LOE-CV), Parental Autonomy Support Scale (PASS), and Shortened Level of Expressed Emotion Scale (SLEES) were completed by participants. In the patient group, PNI levels were significantly lower than in the control group (p&lt;0.05). A negative correlation was found between symptom severity scores and PNI levels (p &lt; 0.05). A positive correlation was found between body mass index (BMI) and PNI levels (p=0.05). PNI levels were significantly lower in those with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and suicide attempts compared to those without (p&lt; 0.05). In children and adolescents diagnosed with AN, PNI levels were not associated with exiting the diagnostic criteria but may be associated with disease severity, BMI, comorbid MDD, NSSI, and suicide attempt. Therefore, it was thought that PNI levels may be an indirect prognostic factor for AN in children and adolescents.</jats:p>