Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (582 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
An imbalanced nutritional status resulting from insufficient intake of nutrients to meet normal physiological requirement.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Malnourishment; Malnourishments; Undernutrition; Nutritional Deficiency; Nutritional Deficiencies.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Nutrition Disorders
- Narrower topics
- Deficiency Diseases; Fetal Nutrition Disorders; Refeeding Syndrome; Severe Acute Malnutrition; Starvation
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 146,327 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Malnutrition” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 24,382 of them (16.7%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 67,473 records.
Reviews account for 20,809 records (14.2%) and meta-analyses for 1,455. Randomized controlled trials number 3,395 (2.3%) as a share of all records on the topic.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 67,473 |
| 2000-2009 | 20,194 |
| 2010-2019 | 34,278 |
| 2020 onward | 24,382 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 20,809 | 14.2% |
| Meta-analyses | 1,455 | 1.0% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 3,395 | 2.3% |
Method: PubMed query "Malnutrition"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in metabolism and endocrine disease
Studies of diabetes, obesity and hormone disorders often follow blood tests such as glucose, HbA1c or hormone levels, which are stand-ins for outcomes that matter more, such as complications. Lifestyle and diet research is largely observational, and weight and diabetes trials can differ in how long people were followed. Nothing on this page is advice about medicines, insulin or diet; talk to a qualified clinician about your own situation. Check whether the outcome was a lab value or a clinical event, and the type and duration of the condition studied.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anatomy of a famine: using fuzzy cognitive mapping to understand the crisis in Ayod County, South Sudan, 2017 | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc by PMID 42587064 · DOI · PMC13503268 |
| Maternal serum vitamin D levels and preeclampsia among Kenyan pregnant women: A matched case-control study | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42771637 · DOI · PMC13596797 |
| Burden of Disease in Pediatric Tumor-Induced Osteomalacia: A Literature Review | 2026 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42573821 · DOI · PMC13457281 |
Anatomy of a famine: using fuzzy cognitive mapping to understand the crisis in Ayod County, South Sudan, 2017 [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- This paper explores Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) as an analytical approach for understanding famine as a complex, dynamic system.
- Closing excerpt
- Continued testing of FCM is recommended to assess its suitability as part of a revised analytical toolkit for near-real-time famine risk tracking.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (150 words)
This paper explores Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) as an analytical approach for understanding famine as a complex, dynamic system. Traditional approaches, such as the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), may not fully capture the non-linear interactions among social, economic, political, and environmental factors that contribute to famine. The IPC relies heavily on cross-sectional survey data and expert judgment, which can introduce errors and biases. This study applies FCM to a retrospective case study of the 2017 Ayod County crisis in South Sudan. FCM combines qualitative and quantitative data, facilitating analysis of dynamic systems even with limited data availability. The findings indicate that FCM identified famine-like conditions from March to June 2017, aligning with subsequent survey data, although Ayod was never formally classified in famine by the IPC. Continued testing of FCM is recommended to assess its suitability as part of a revised analytical toolkit for near-real-time famine risk tracking.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42587064 · DOI · PMC13503268
Maternal serum vitamin D levels and preeclampsia among Kenyan pregnant women: A matched case-control study [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- BackgroundPreeclampsia accounts for about one in five direct maternal deaths in Kenya.
- Closing excerpt
- Trial registrationPan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR202505516303679).
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (185 words)
BackgroundPreeclampsia accounts for about one in five direct maternal deaths in Kenya. Low vitamin D levels have been linked to its pathophysiology. Despite this, context‑specific data from African populations remain limited. The study aimed to determine the association between maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations (nmol/L) in pregnancy and the risk of preeclampsia in a Kenyan population.MethodsA matched case-control study was conducted at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kenya. A total of 118 women with confirmed viable intrauterine pregnancies at ≥28 weeks' gestation were analysed. Fifty-nine women with preeclampsia (cases) and 59 controls were matched by parity, gestation, and age. Serum 25(OH)D was quantified. Vitamin D status was categorised as suboptimal (ResultsMedian serum 25(OH)D was significantly lower in preeclampsia cases compared with controls [67.1 nmol/L (interquartile range 47.8-84.0) vs. 77.6 nmol/L (62.4-99.7); P = 0.001]. Suboptimal vitamin D levels (ConclusionsIn this study, suboptimal maternal serum vitamin D status demonstrated a significant association with preeclampsia. There is potential value in antenatal screening for vitamin D status. Findings support further research into vitamin D supplementation as a preventive intervention for preeclampsia.Trial registrationPan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR202505516303679).
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42771637 · DOI · PMC13596797
Burden of Disease in Pediatric Tumor-Induced Osteomalacia: A Literature Review [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is an ultra-rare, paraneoplastic syndrome caused by tumors secreting fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23).
- Closing excerpt
- Further research in this area is needed to address the scarcity of data available in pediatric patients.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (247 words)
Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is an ultra-rare, paraneoplastic syndrome caused by tumors secreting fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23). In children, TIO may be mistaken for more common causes of rickets and osteomalacia, including monogenic forms, leading to long diagnostic delays. This review aimed to identify evidence on the diagnostic journey and burden of TIO in pediatric patients. A literature review was conducted to identify publications reporting disease characteristics, investigations, treatments, and clinical outcomes in pediatric patients diagnosed with TIO. In total, 41 studies were included in the review, reporting on 46 pediatric patients. Mean age at presentation was 11.2 years (standard deviation [SD]: 4.6). The majority of individuals (60.9%) were male. The most commonly reported symptoms at presentation were pain (65.2%), weakness (47.8%), and impaired physical function (43.5%). Rickets was reported in 45.7% of patients and fractures in 34.8% of patients. Mean time from onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 4.3 years (SD: 2.6) and mean number of imaging procedures per patient was 5.4 (SD: 2.7). Low serum phosphate concentration for age was reported in 93.5% of patients at presentation. Attempted surgical resection was reported in the majority of patients (89.1%) and was successful in 60.9%. Pediatric-onset TIO is associated with a substantial symptomatic and healthcare burden. Increasing awareness of TIO in children may prevent delays in diagnosis, reduce the need for radiation-conferring tests, and lower morbidity due to effective management. Further research in this area is needed to address the scarcity of data available in pediatric patients.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42573821 · DOI · PMC13457281
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Epidemiology of sarcopenia: Prevalence, risk factors, and consequences [4]
- Research article The global prevalence of oropharyngeal dysphagia in different populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis [5]
- Research article Impact of malnutrition as defined by the GLIM criteria on treatment outcomes in patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis [6]
- Research article Vitamin D and miscarriage: a systematic review and meta-analysis [7]
- Research article Vitamin A supplementation for preventing morbidity and mortality in children from six months to five years of age [8]
- Research article Vitamin D protects against depression: Evidence from an umbrella meta-analysis on interventional and observational meta-analyses [9]
Full-text reviews on EvidenceLib
Open-access review articles about this topic, reproduced in full with authors, licence and references.
Quality Appraisal of Nutritional Guidelines to Prevent, Diagnose, and Treat Malnutrition in All Its Forms during Pregnancy
Cinthya Muñoz-Manrique, Mónica Ancira-Moreno, Soraya Burrola-Méndez et al. · Nutrients 2022 · CC BY 4.0
Relationship between markers of malnutrition and clinical outcomes in older adults with cancer: systematic review, narrative synthesis and meta-analysis
Alex F. Bullock, Sarah L. Greenley, Gordon A. G. McKenzie et al. · European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2020 · CC BY 4.0
References
- Day M. Anatomy of a famine: using fuzzy cognitive mapping to understand the crisis in Ayod County, South Sudan, 2017. . 2026. PMID 42587064 · DOI · PMC13503268
- Asaso Omwodo K, Kimani JN, Nicodemus K, Kioko DM, Georgieva A. Maternal serum vitamin D levels and preeclampsia among Kenyan pregnant women: A matched case-control study. . 2026. PMID 42771637 · DOI · PMC13596797
- Minisola S, Jan de Beur SM, Carpenter TO, Dahir KM, Zanchetta MB, Ward L, et al.. Burden of Disease in Pediatric Tumor-Induced Osteomalacia: A Literature Review. . 2026. PMID 42573821 · DOI · PMC13457281
- Yuan S, Larsson SC. Epidemiology of sarcopenia: Prevalence, risk factors, and consequences. Metabolism. 2023. PMID 36907247 · DOI
- Rajati F, Ahmadi N, Naghibzadeh ZA, Kazeminia M. The global prevalence of oropharyngeal dysphagia in different populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Transl Med. 2022. PMID 35410274 · DOI · PMC9003990
- Matsui R, Rifu K, Watanabe J, Inaki N, Fukunaga T. Impact of malnutrition as defined by the GLIM criteria on treatment outcomes in patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Nutr. 2023. PMID 36931162 · DOI
- Tamblyn JA, Pilarski NSP, Markland AD, Marson EJ, Devall A, Hewison M, et al.. Vitamin D and miscarriage: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Fertil Steril. 2022. PMID 35637024 · DOI
- Imdad A, Mayo-Wilson E, Haykal MR, Regan A, Sidhu J, Smith A, et al.. Vitamin A supplementation for preventing morbidity and mortality in children from six months to five years of age. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022. PMID 35294044 · DOI · PMC8925277
- Musazadeh V, Keramati M, Ghalichi F, Kavyani Z, Ghoreishi Z, Alras KA, et al.. Vitamin D protects against depression: Evidence from an umbrella meta-analysis on interventional and observational meta-analyses. Pharmacol Res. 2023. PMID 36509315 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.