Children receiving chemotherapy for cancer may experience negative eating behaviors, such as changes in taste, emotional overeating or undereating, food selectivity, and slow eating. The study, conducted on children aged 8 to 18 being treated for cancer, found that most of them had normal body mass index (BMI) scores, but some were at risk for malnutrition. The children also reported changes in taste acuity, with some experiencing total or almost total loss of taste acuity. The study suggested that oncology nurses should evaluate patients’ taste functions and apply nursing interventions related to taste disorders before, during, and after treatment.
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Chemotherapy May Alter Taste Perception, Eating Behavior in Children With Cancer
