An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Nutrition Counseling for Adults with Risk Factors for Dyslipidemia

Abstract

Dyslipidemia is a component of the metabolic syndrome and a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Nutritioncounseling is important to improve dyslipidemia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness ofnutrition counseling in adults with risk factors for dyslipidemia diagnosed by the national health screeningprogram. The nutrition counseling for adults with risk factors for dyslipidemia was carried out at a public healthcenter in Gyeonggi-do. Thirty four patients out of forty five participants in the program completed the nutritioncounseling program. The nutrition counseling was provided 3 times during a 12-week period. Individualizednutrition counseling to improve dietary habits was conducted after examining participants`` dietary intake throughquestionnaires about dietary habits and whether they practice dietary guidelines. Data about serum lipid profiles,body composition, nutrition knowledge, the practice of dietary guidelines, and dietary behavior were collectedbefore and after nutrition counseling to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition counseling. All data were statisticallyanalyzed by SPSS program (Korea ver.18.0) and significant difference was evaluated by paired t-test and χ2-test. Body weight, body fat and WHR were significantly decreased after nutrition counseling. Total-cholesterol, TG, andLDL-cholesterol were significantly decreased but HDL-cholesterol did not show significant changes. Both scoresof nutrition knowledge and the practice of dietary guidelines improved significantly (p < 0.001). This study showsthat nutrition counseling helps to encourage healthy eating practices and to improve serum lipid profiles of adultswith risk factors for dyslipidemia. Overall, results indicated that nutrition counseling resulted in positive changesto lower the reliance on medications. Therefore, nutrition counseling should be considered for the initial treatmentof dyslipidemia. (Korean J Community Nutr 19(1) : 27~40, 2014)