Abstract

LIMA, Patrícia et al. Gluten-free diet among Portuguese coeliac adults: perceived difficulties. Acta Port Nutr [online]. 2020, n.21, pp.16-20. ISSN 2183-5985.  https://doi.org/10.21011/apn.2020.2104.

Introduction: Coeliac disease can cause a great burden in the coeliacs’ life. Therefore, it is important to assess the difficulties that coeliacs face in their daily life. Objectives: To evaluate the perceived difficulties of self-reported compliance with the gluten-free diet and with out-of-home eating aspects in a convenience sample of Portuguese coeliac adults. Methodology: It was performed a transversal observational study where Portuguese coeliac adults were inquired, filling out an online questionnaire. It comprised three sections: sociodemographic and disease characteristics, self-reported compliance with the gluten-free diet and out-of-home eating aspects. Results: The final sample included 339 participants, where 76.4% were members of Associação Portuguesa de Celíacos, 84.1% were female and the age of coeliac disease diagnosis ranged from 1 to 70 years old. The difficulties identified by the participants in self-reported compliance with the gluten-free diet were “Risk of gluten cross-contamination” (84.1%), “Availability of gluten-free products in public places (coffee shops, hospitals, restaurants, …) (83.8%), “Absence of the gluten-free symbol in the products’ label” (52.2%) and the “Lack of gluten-free food products offer, at an affordable price” (45.7%). In out-of-home eating, the main difficulty was the “Lack of information and unconcern of the establishments’ staff” (44.0%). Conclusions: Coeliacs face a lot of challenges in terms of daily food choices. The role of patient support groups and education provided by a follow-up team with professional skills in coeliac disease are vital for its management and long-term outcome.

Keywords : Coeliac disease; Compliance; Gluten-free; Survey.

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