{"title":"Evaluating Experiences in a Digital Nutrition Education Program for People With Multiple Sclerosis: A Qualitative Study","authors":"R. D. Russell, J. He, L. J. Black, A. Begley","doi":"10.1111/hex.70012","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div>\n \n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Background</h3>\n \n <p>Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex immune-mediated disease with no currently known cure. There is growing evidence to support the role of diet in reducing some of the symptoms and disease progression in MS, and we previously developed and tested the feasibility of a digital nutrition education program for people with MS.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Objective</h3>\n \n <p>The aim of this study was to explore factors that influenced engagement in the digital nutrition education program, including features influencing capability, opportunity and motivation to change their dietary behaviours.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Methods</h3>\n \n <p>Semi-structured interviews were conducted with people who had MS, and who completed some or all of the program until data saturation was reached. Interviews were analysed inductively using thematic analysis. Themes were deductively mapped against the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour) behaviour change model.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Results</h3>\n \n <p>Sixteen interviews were conducted with participants who completed all (<i>n</i> = 10) or some of the program (<i>n</i> = 6). Four themes emerged: (1) acquiring and validating nutrition knowledge; (2) influence of time and social support; (3) getting in early to improve health and (4) accounting for food literacy experiences.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Discussion</h3>\n \n <p>This is the first online nutrition program with suitable behavioural supports for people with MS. It highlights the importance of disease-specific and evidence-based nutrition education to support people with MS to make dietary changes. Acquiring nutrition knowledge, coupled with practical support mechanisms, such as recipe booklets and goal setting, emerged as crucial for facilitating engagement with the program.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Conclusions</h3>\n \n <p>When designing education programs for people with MS and other neurological conditions, healthcare professionals and program designers should consider flexible delivery and building peer support to address the needs and challenges faced by participants.</p>\n </section>\n \n <section>\n \n <h3> Patient or Public Contribution</h3>\n \n <p>Members of the MS Nutrition Research Program Stakeholder Reference Group, which includes people with MS and MS health professionals, provided input during the development of the nutrition education program and study design stages.</p>\n </section>\n </div>","PeriodicalId":55070,"journal":{"name":"Health Expectations","volume":"27 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/hex.70012","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Health Expectations","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hex.70012","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"HEALTH CARE SCIENCES & SERVICES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex immune-mediated disease with no currently known cure. There is growing evidence to support the role of diet in reducing some of the symptoms and disease progression in MS, and we previously developed and tested the feasibility of a digital nutrition education program for people with MS.
Objective
The aim of this study was to explore factors that influenced engagement in the digital nutrition education program, including features influencing capability, opportunity and motivation to change their dietary behaviours.
Methods
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with people who had MS, and who completed some or all of the program until data saturation was reached. Interviews were analysed inductively using thematic analysis. Themes were deductively mapped against the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour) behaviour change model.
Results
Sixteen interviews were conducted with participants who completed all (n = 10) or some of the program (n = 6). Four themes emerged: (1) acquiring and validating nutrition knowledge; (2) influence of time and social support; (3) getting in early to improve health and (4) accounting for food literacy experiences.
Discussion
This is the first online nutrition program with suitable behavioural supports for people with MS. It highlights the importance of disease-specific and evidence-based nutrition education to support people with MS to make dietary changes. Acquiring nutrition knowledge, coupled with practical support mechanisms, such as recipe booklets and goal setting, emerged as crucial for facilitating engagement with the program.
Conclusions
When designing education programs for people with MS and other neurological conditions, healthcare professionals and program designers should consider flexible delivery and building peer support to address the needs and challenges faced by participants.
Patient or Public Contribution
Members of the MS Nutrition Research Program Stakeholder Reference Group, which includes people with MS and MS health professionals, provided input during the development of the nutrition education program and study design stages.
期刊介绍:
Health Expectations promotes critical thinking and informed debate about all aspects of patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) in health and social care, health policy and health services research including:
• Person-centred care and quality improvement
• Patients'' participation in decisions about disease prevention and management
• Public perceptions of health services
• Citizen involvement in health care policy making and priority-setting
• Methods for monitoring and evaluating participation
• Empowerment and consumerism
• Patients'' role in safety and quality
• Patient and public role in health services research
• Co-production (researchers working with patients and the public) of research, health care and policy
Health Expectations is a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal publishing original research, review articles and critical commentaries. It includes papers which clarify concepts, develop theories, and critically analyse and evaluate specific policies and practices. The Journal provides an inter-disciplinary and international forum in which researchers (including PPIE researchers) from a range of backgrounds and expertise can present their work to other researchers, policy-makers, health care professionals, managers, patients and consumer advocates.