P980 Dietary perceptions and practices in patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract

Abstract Background Patients with Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a strong interest in the role that diet can play in the disease.However, studies evaluating the perception of diet in Tunisian patients are lacking.The aim of this study was to investigate the dietary beliefs and behaviours of adult patients with IBD. Methods We conducted a longitudinal study using a self-administered questionnaire distributed online to the «Association Tunisienne des Maladies de Crohn et de RCH» group. Through 17 items, we collected data assessing the dietary behaviours and beliefs of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC). Results A total of 121 patients (CD: 59%,UC 41%)were enrolled, with a mean age of 38.1±11.4 years and a sex ratio of M/F= 0.73.Twenty-three patients were active smokers. At the time of the enrollment, 26.4% of patients had an active disease. Eighty-three patients believed that diet was a trigger for the disease, with a male predominance(80% versus 60.8%, p=0.02) but no difference between the UC and CD groups was found(p=0.61). Fourty-one patients felt that diet was more important than medical treatment for disease control, with equal importance for 47 patients and no impact for 6 patients. Ninety-two patients thought that diet could induce a relapse of the disease, with 86.8% resorting to an exclusion diet, and 76% thought that a change in diet could induce remission of the disease. The most frequently avoided were spices(33.1%),and gluten(17.4%). Spicy foods were considered to be the main responsible for IBD flares by 90.1% of patients,followed by fast foods(75.9%), citrus fruits(70.4%) and legumes(64.7%). Respectively 57% and 34.7% of the patients believed that milk and dairy products could induce or worsen disease symptoms. Around half of our patients thought that pasta had no impact on the disease course, while rice was considered to be the major aliment able to prevent relapse and improve symptoms by 47.7% of patients. On the other hand, 52.2% of patients considered high fiber vegetables to be potentially responsible for relapses. Fourty-two percent of the patients believed that fruits could have a negative impact on IBD while 20.4% thought they have a positive effect. Around half the patients thought that red meats and coffee had no impact on the course of the underlying disease. Fifty-five percent of the patients believed that fasting could prevent relapses, while 53 patients felt that it had no significant effect. Half of our patients had at least once consumed nutritional supplements, with a medical prescription noted in 65.6%. Conclusion Our study underlines the importance of a holistic approach to the treatment of IBD, taking into account both traditional medical treatments and appropriate dietary education.