Compliance of oral nutrition supplementation in elderly patients with hip fracture during perioperative period: a qualitative study

Objective To explore the obstacle factors of oral nutrition supplementation compliance in elderly patients with hip fracture during perioperative period, and to provide theoretical basis for the development of targeted nursing intervention strategies. Methods A purposive sampling method was used to select 20 elderly patients with hip fracture admitted to a hospital in Shanghai from July to February 2026 to conduct semi-structured interviews. The interview data were sorted out and summarized by Colaizzi ’s seven-step analysis method. Results The compliance rate of oral nutrition supplementation in elderly patients with hip fracture during perioperative period was 20%. A total of 5 themes and 8 sub-themes were extracted from the relevant factors: postoperative physiological reaction leading to loss of appetite, insufficient nutrition cognition and lack of education, insufficient supervision mechanism and care support, insufficient economic burden and family support, and poor taste of nutrition preparations. Conclusion The compliance of oral nutrition supplementation in elderly patients with hip fracture is affected by many factors such as physiology, cognition and support system. Comprehensive intervention strategies should be developed from multiple levels to improve compliance and promote rehabilitation.