Recommendations of dietitians for overcoming barriers to dietary adherencein individuals with diabetes

PURPOSE the purposes of this research were to (1) identify factors that contribute to the barriers to dietary adherence in individuals with diabetes identifie d in a 1998 study and (2) obtain recommendations from registered dietitians for strategies to overcome these barriers. METHODS A 10-item, open-ended telephone questionnaire was used to obtain informatio n. The sample included 75 registered dieticians who participated in a previ ous survey to identify barriers and agreed to a follow-up telephone intervi ew. RESULTS Of the 75 participants, 28% reported spending 5 hours or less per week coun seling individuals with diabetes, 64% spent between 6 and 30 hours, and 8% spent more than 31 hours per week. Almost half of the participants (47%) we re certified diabetes educators. Factors identified as the greatest contrib utors to the barriers being evaluated included lack of time, lack of sympto ms lack of education (including follow-up), poor self-esteem/lack of empowe rment, and misinformation from family/peers/others with diabetes. The prima ry recommendations for overcoming each of these barriers included individua lizing meal plans and planning ahead, teaching about complications, and set ting obtainable goals. CONCLUSIONS The registered dietitians who were surveyed emphasized the importance of in dividualizing dietary counseling.