Diet quality of adolescents with eating disorders

Physical health complications in children and young people with avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID): a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a feeding and eating disorder with known acute and longstanding physical health complications in children and young people (CYP) and commonly presents to paediatricians.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically review the published literature on physical health complications in CYP with ARFID using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

METHODS

A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library was performed on 14 February 2024. Studies reporting physical health complications in CYP ≤25 years with ARFID were included. We pooled studies for meta-analysis comparing ARFID with healthy controls or anorexia nervosa (AN).

RESULTS

Of 9058 studies found in searches, we included 132 studies. We found evidence for low weight, nutritional deficiencies and low bone mineral density. CYP with ARFID can present across the weight spectrum; however, the majority of CYP with ARFID were within the healthy weight to underweight range. Most studies reported normal range heart rates and blood pressures in ARFID, but some CYP with ARFID do experience bradycardia and hypotension. CYP with ARFID had higher heart rates than AN (weighted mean difference: 12.93 bpm; 95% CI: 8.65 to 17.21; n=685); heterogeneity was high (I2: 81.33%).

CONCLUSION

There is a broad range of physical health complications associated with ARFID requiring clinical consideration. Many CYP with ARFID are not underweight yet still have complications. Less cardiovascular complications found in ARFID compared with AN may be related to chronicity.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022376866.

Usage of Mobile Applications or Mobile Health Technology to Improve Diet Quality in Adults

The use of mobile applications for dietary purposes has dramatically increased along with the consistent development of mobile technology. Assessing diet quality as a dietary pattern or an indicator across key food groups in comparison to those recommended by dietary guidelines is useful for identifying optimal nutrient intake. This systematic review aims to explore mobile applications and their impact on the diet quality of the user. The electronic databases of The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (Cinahl), The American Psychological Association’s (APA Psycinfo), and PubMed were systematically searched for randomised and non-randomised controlled trials to retrieve papers from inception to November 2021. Ten studies with 1638 participants were included. A total of 5342 studies were retrieved from the database searches, with 10 articles eligible for final inclusion in the review. The sample sizes ranged from 27 to 732 participants across the included studies, with 1638 total participants. The ratio of female to male participants in the studies was 4:1. The majority of the mobile applications or M-health interventions were used to highlight dietary health changes (six studies), with the remainder used to reduce weight or blood sugar levels (four studies). Each study used a different measure to quantify diet quality. Studies were either assessed by diet quality scoring or individual dietary assessment, of the ten studies, six studies reported an improvement in diet quality following diet-related mobile application use. Mobile applications may be an effective way to improve diet quality in adults; however, there is a need for more targeted and longer-term studies that are expressly designed to investigate the impact using mobile applications has on diet quality.

Rationale and development of a manualised dietetic intervention for adults undergoing psychological treatment for an eating disorder

PURPOSE

Due to the current dearth of literature regarding dietetic treatment for patients with an eating disorder (ED), no manualised dietetic interventions exist to enable the testing of dietetic treatments in this population. This paper aims to: (1) describe the rationale and development of a manualised dietetic intervention for adults undergoing concurrent psychological treatment for an ED; and (2) provide an overview of the feasibility testing of this intervention.

METHODS

Current best evidence to date for dietetic treatment in EDs was utilised to develop a manualised dietetic intervention for feasibility testing alongside outpatient psychological 'treatment as usual'.

RESULTS

The developed intervention consists of five, dietitian-delivered outpatient sessions: (1) getting started; (2) mechanical eating and dietary rules; (3) estimating portion sizes and social eating; (4) maximising your meal plan and meal preparation; and (5) review and treatment planning as well as pre- and post-intervention assessments.

CONCLUSION

This paper is intended as a resource for clinicians and researchers in the conduct of future studies examining dietetic treatment for patients with an ED.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level V, description of a new manualised, reproducible dietetic intervention.

Dietetic intervention for adult outpatients with an eating disorder: a systematic review and assessment of evidence quality

CONTEXT

Eating disorders (EDs) are complex mental illnesses that require medical, psychological, and dietetic intervention to assist patients achieve recovery.

OBJECTIVE

Available evidence was reviewed regarding dietetic intervention for adult outpatients with an ED and the quality of this evidence was assessed.

DATA SOURCES

Systematic literature searches were conducted using 5 databases (MEDLINE, PreMEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO) for studies comparing adults with an ED receiving a dietetic intervention with those receiving a psychological intervention alone, those receiving a combined dietetic and psychological intervention, or a control group.

DATA EXTRACTION

Literature searches returned 3078 results, with 10 articles reporting on 9 randomized controlled trials meeting the inclusion criteria. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework.

DATA ANALYSIS

GRADE assessments for studies involving individuals with anorexia nervosa indicated very low quality of evidence for outcomes including weight, ED psychopathology and ED behaviors , and no studies measured nutritional changes. For studies conducted with participants with bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder, only 1 study included a group receiving combined evidence-based psychological and dietetic intervention. A combined intervention produced moderate-quality evidence for lower attrition, greater abstinence from ED behaviors, and more meals eaten per week in comparison with a stand-alone psychological or dietetic intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

There is currently limited evidence to sufficiently assess the impact of incorporating dietetic interventions into outpatient treatment for adults with an ED; however, available evidence supports clinical practice guidelines that dietetic intervention should not be delivered as a stand-alone treatment. Additional methodologically sound studies in larger samples are required to fully inform dietetic treatment in EDs and incorporation of such interventions as part of a multidisciplinary treatment approach.

A review of treatment manuals for adults with an eating disorder: nutrition content and consistency with current dietetic evidence

PURPOSE

This study aimed to summarise the nutrition and food-related content of treatment manuals for adults with eating disorders (EDs) and assess the degree to which this information conforms with current guidelines and literature.

METHODS

Treatment manuals for adults with an ED were identified by conducting an online search of Internet book dealer Amazon and University of Sydney library catalogue as per methods used in previous reviews of self-help patient resources. The nutrition and food-related content of these manuals was extracted and reviewed independently by two reviewers using a criteria based on current best evidence to date regarding dietetic treatment for EDs.

RESULTS

Twenty-two manuals met inclusion criteria, 20 (91%) of which contained some degree of nutrition and food-related content. Two manuals (9%) included content written by a dietitian, six (27%) included citation of dietetic literature to support the recommendations made and eight (36%) recommended a dietitian be consulted as part of a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. Thirteen manuals (60%) contained nutrition and food-related information not substantiated by current evidence.

CONCLUSION

It is common for treatment manuals for EDs to contain nutrition and food-related content. However, most of the authors of the 22 manuals identified did not appear to collaborate with a dietitian in writing this content or cite peer-reviewed literature to substantiate dietary advice given. Consistent with current clinical practice guidelines, greater collaboration between dietitians and clinicians is required to develop, evaluate and disseminate evidence-based approaches to dietetic management.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level V, narrative review.

Development of the "Recovery from Eating Disorders for Life" Food Guide (REAL Food Guide) - a food pyramid for adults with an eating disorder

BACKGROUND

There is limited evidence to inform nutrition and dietetic interventions for individuals with eating disorders even though it is recommended as an essential part of multidisciplinary management. There is minimal guidance, an absence of standardised nutrition educational material, and no research on how best to educate patients on healthy eating and how to achieve nutrition adequacy. Therefore the REAL Food Guide was developed.

METHODS

The REAL Food Guide is a pyramid with four layers and key nutrition messages beside each layer that was conceived to address gaps in nutrition education and intervention for individuals with eating disorders. Written and verbal consumer feedback was obtained from consumers receiving treatment regarding the acceptability and usefulness of the REAL Food Guide. A unique database was developed to reflect the types of foods and realistic portion sizes that patients are likely to select. This database was used for nutrition modelling to assess the nutrition adequacy of three meal patterns (meat containing, vegetarian and semi-vegan) for both weight maintenance and weight regain. Each meal pattern was compared to the Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand.

RESULTS

Nutritional analysis demonstrated nutritional adequacy of meal patterns for energy, macronutrients and most micronutrients when the recommended number of serves from the REAL Food Guide were assessed. All meal patterns were adequate in micronutrients except for the semi-vegan meal pattern that was inadequate in vitamin D. Feedback from individuals with eating disorders demonstrates the nutrition education tool was acceptable to them as they felt it was more helpful for their recovery than general nutrition guidelines.

CONCLUSION

The REAL Food Guide is a comprehensive and user-friendly guide that clinicians can use to educate patients about components of a balanced and healthy diet. The guide can educate all eating disorder clinicians, including those who are new to the field, about the basics of nutrition. Clinicians using the guide can be confident that, if followed, patient's energy and nutritional requirements will be met and important nutrition education messages are reinforced, that are tailored to the beliefs and concerns of individuals with eating disorders.