*Author for correspondence FoodSci: Indian Journal of Research in Food Science and Nutrition, Vol 6(1), 1-7, January-June 2019 DOI: 10.15613/fjrfn/2019/v6i1/184221 ISSN (Print) : 2349-8897 ISSN (Online) : 2350-1006 Keywords: Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index Questionnaire (GOQLI), Gastrointestinal Surgery Nutritional Status and Quality of Life in Patients Admitted for Gastrointestinal Surgery M. Abirami*, R. Sangami and A. J. Hemamalini 1 PG, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai - 600116, Tamil Nadu, India; abindindia@gmail.com 2 Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai - 600116, Tamil Nadu, India 3 Associate Professor and HOD, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Sri Ramachandra University, Chennai - 600116, Tamil Nadu, India Abstract The physiological and psychosocial stresses of surgery increase the risk of poor nutritional status, which is clearly linked to poorer outcomes. Poor nutrition therefore has its consequences on quality of life. The evaluation of Quality of Life assesses patients' well-being by taking into account physical, psychological and social conditions. The objectives are to assess the anthropometric parameters, Biochemical parameters, diet history and Quality of Life of the study subjects using Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index questionnaire (GOQLI) and to compare the nutritional status and Quality of Life scores and to correlate the anthropometric, biochemical parameters and nutrient intake with GIQLI scores. A prospective study using convenient sampling technique was conducted on 50 study subjects to assess their nutritional status and gastrointestinal quality of life. In this study the GIQLI score was divided into overall, physical, emotional and gastrointestinal domains. Observations showed nutritional status had significant association (p<0.05) with physical domain (12.12±14.15). In biochemical parameter albumin had significant association (p<0.05) with emotional domain and nutrient intake was found to have significant association (p<0.01) with emotional domain. In patients admitted for GI surgery the overall and domain specific scores were found to be less when compared with the scores of normal subjects as reported in the previous studies. The overall and domain specific GIQLI scores seem to have association with varying weight loss, serum albumin and nutrient intake. It is understood that gastrointestinal Quality of Life has major impact on the underlying disease progression and recovery, appropriate nutritional intervention and support should be provided at the earliest to prevent further decline in nutritional status and post-operative complications. 1. Introduction Protein-energy malnutrition is a common problem in hospital patients. Studies have reported 40% of surgical and medical patients to be malnourished on admission to hospital. Te majority of patients experienced nutritional depletion during the course of their hospital admission, which was more severe in those patients who were already depleted at the time of their admission 1 . Changes in body composition, tissue wasting, and impaired organ functions lead to impaired immune and muscle function 2 . Stress of surgery, reduced intake and subsequent increase in metabolic rate leads to poor surgical outcome 3 . Nutritional status has been shown to afect quality of life, tolerance of future treatments and survival in people having undergone major upper gastrointestinal surgery 4 . WHO has defned Quality of Life (QOL) as “an individual’s perception of their position in life in the