Dietary Patterns and Food Choices of Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Disease in New Zealand
Peter Vivian Acire, Angharad Vernon‐Roberts, Andrew S. DayABSTRACT
Aims
This study aimed to assess current dietary patterns in adults with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in New Zealand and to evaluate associations with current self‐reported disease activity and well‐being.
Methods
A prospective online survey was conducted using validated dietary data collection instruments. Dietary patterns were derived using principal component analysis. Self‐reported current disease activity and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) scores were ascertained. Relationships between diet patterns and other variables were assessed.
Results
The responses of 205 participants were included in the analysis: mean age 43.0 (±14.0) years, and a mean disease duration of 31.5 (±14.0) years. There were 107 (52%) people with Crohn's disease (CD) and 98 (48%) with ulcerative colitis/IBD‐unclassified (UC/IBDU). Six dietary patterns were identified among the cohort data: Western, vegetarian, pescatarian, semi‐vegetarian, semi‐pescatarian, and low‐carbohydrate. Consuming a Western dietary pattern was associated with active CD (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.55, 95% CI [1.27, 7.26], p = 0.02) or active UC/IBDU (AOR = 3.50, 95% CI [1.07, 5.40], p = 0.04). In contrast, people with CD following a vegetarian diet pattern were less likely to report active disease (AOR = 0.32, 95% CI [0.11, 0.98], p = 0.04). Adherence to a Western or semi‐pescatarian dietary pattern was predictive of worse HRQoL.
Conclusions
In this group of adults with IBD, vegetarian dietary patterns were associated with lower current CD activity but not UC/IBDU, while the Western dietary pattern was associated with higher disease activity and impaired HRQoL.