“And then you start to loose it because you think about Nutella”: The significance of food for people with inflammatory bowel disease - a qualitative study

Abstract

BackgroundMany patients with inflammatory bowel disease strongly believe that food or certain food products heavily influence the symptoms or even trigger acute flare-ups. Unfortunately, there is no generalizable information for these patients, and therefore no effective diet has been identified to date.MethodsThe narrative interviews we used for this study provide the basis for the German website www.krankheitserfahrungen.de. Maximum-variation sampling was used to include a broad range of experiences and a variety of different factors that might influence people’s experiences. The sample included men and women of different age groups and social and ethnic backgrounds from across Germany. The interviews were analyzed using grounded theory.ResultsFour interrelated categories emerged: managing uncertainty, eating: between craving and aversion, being different and professional help as a further source of uncertainty. The most important issue for our responders was the handling of uncertainty and to find a way between desire for, and aversion against, eating. Many participants described difficulties during formal social occasions such as weddings, birthdays, or when going out to a restaurant.ConclusionsMany of the experiences the participants reported in their daily struggle with food and their illness, such as cravings for and abstaining from certain foods, were rather unusual and often stressful. Because they decided not to go out in public any longer, some of the interviewees experienced even more social isolation than they did before. Health professionals need to become more involved and not only advice about food and eating, but also help their patients find strategies for avoiding social isolation.

Dietary strategies and food practices of pediatric patients, and their parents, living with inflammatory bowel disease: a qualitative interview study

“…The findings of this study lend support to previous research on the relationship between diet and IBD among adult patients. In particular, avoidance of and challenges to abstaining from trigger foods have been documented among adult patients with IBD (Fletcher & Schneider, 2006;Palant et al, 2015;Schneider et al, 2009). Fletcher and Schneider (2006) also briefly reported on healthy eating among their participants.…”

“…Her mother (M5) indicated that the family had reduced rather than eliminated the consumption of pasta "because it was something that we were so accustomed to eating all the time." Difficulty in abstaining from trigger foods had also been reported among adults and young adults with IBD (Fletcher & Schneider, 2006;Palant et al, 2015;Schneider et al, 2009).…”

“…Research that investigates patient perspectives with regard to diet has largely focused on adults or young adults. Quantitative studies reported that many adult patients perceived food and diet as important in affecting their condition (Bergeron, Bouin, D'Aoust, Lemoyne, & Presse, 2018;Holt, Strauss, & Moore, 2017;Jowett et al, 2004;Kinsey & Burden, 2016;Prince, Whelan, Moosa, Lomer, & Reidlinger, 2011;Zallot, Quillot, & Chevaux, 2013;Zutshi, Hull, & Hammel, 2007). These studies reported that patients often avoided trigger foods that they identified as provoking their symptoms.…”

“…These studies reported that patients often avoided trigger foods that they identified as provoking their symptoms. Notably, the perceived importance of food did not differ significantly between patients in remission and those in relapse (Prince et al, 2011). Similarly, in qualitative interview studies, adult patients talked about the importance of food and identification of trigger foods for their condition, as well as challenges in restricting the consumption of those foods (Fletcher & Schneider, 2006;Palant et al, 2015;Schneider, Jamieson, & Fletcher, 2009).…”

New Trends in the Dietary Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

“…Uznali, że dylematy dotyczące wyboru produktów w takich sytuacjach są dla nich na tyle stresujące, że aby ich unikać, wybierają izolację społeczną. Istnieje zatem potrzeba holistycznej opieki dietetycznej złożonej zarówno z edukacji żywieniowej, jak i psychodietetycznej pracy z pacjentem [23].…”