Nutritional Status And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Adult Patients With Celiac Disease

Objective: This study evaluated the effect of nutrition on health-related quality of life in adult celiac patients.Material-Methods: A total of 103 individuals (26 males and 77 females) diagnosed with celiac disease by a physician, registered in the Ankara Celiac Society, and between 20 and 50 years old were enrolled in the study. Research data was collected using the face-to-face survey method with the “Celiac Disease in Health-Related Quality of Life Survey” to evaluate participants’ quality of life. Patient nutrient intake was determined using the 24-hour dietary recall method.Results: The mean age of the patients was 37.5±8.89 years and the age at diagnosis was 31.0±11.85 years. The body mass index value was 22.7±3.57 kg/m2. When the nutritional status of the participants was evaluated, the energy received from carbohydrates and protein was less, whereas the energy received from fat was more than the general recommendations. When the total quality of life score was evaluated, the average scores of men were higher than women (146.6±17.51 vs. 123.7±24.78). In addition, the total and subscale quality of life scores varied by gender, comorbid conditions, compliance with a gluten-free diet, and the duration of the gluten-free diet.Conclusions: Celiac is a disease that requires a lifelong gluten-free diet. Most celiac patients have nutritional deficiencies and poor quality of life standards. In order to prevent these deficiencies, commercially prepared foods should be enriched, especially in vitamins and minerals. In addition, increasing awareness of celiac disease in society positively affects the quality of life of individuals.