CLINICAL RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Please note: All posters will be displayed in
Salons 10-12.
THURSDAY, 5:30-6:15 PM
Link LB, Jacobson JS*.
Adherence to a raw vegan diet.
Columbia University, Mailman School of Public
Health lbl10@columbia.edu *Presenting
author
BACKGROUND: There is some evidence that a raw
vegan diet (i.e., an uncooked vegetarian diet without dairy or eggs)
is healthier than an omnivorous diet that includes cooked food. However,
before studying this restrictive diet in randomized controlled trials,
more information is needed about factors related to adherence.
PURPOSE: To evaluate adherence and predictors
of adherence to a raw vegan diet after a stay at a raw vegan institute.
METHODS: This was a cohort study of guests at
a raw vegan institute (Hippocrates Health Institute, W. Palm Beach,
FL), in which the usual stay is 1-3 weeks. Guests at the institute learn
about a raw vegan diet and other lifestyle changes that may improve
their health. All English-speaking guests without severe debilitating
illness or dementia were eligible and were invited to participate on
arrival at the institute. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline
and 12 weeks. A dietary adherence score created for this study assigned
points (overall range 0-42) for level of adherence to each dietary recommendation,
including % of diet vegan, raw, and organic; amount of vegetable juice,
wheatgrass juice, salad, sweets, processed grains, alcohol, and caffeine
consumed; and the frequency of fasting.
RESULTS: Of 107 eligible guests, 84 agreed to
participate. Their mean age was 54 years (range 23-86) and median length
of stay was 2 weeks; 27% were male, 40% married, 87% white, and 60%
with an income >$75,000. Among the 51 participants who completed the
12-week follow-up, 27% reported their diet to be >80% raw vegan, an
11% increase from baseline. The mean dietary adherence score (+/- sd)
increased significantly from 15.1 (+/- 5.4; range=2-24) to 17.0 (+/-
5.8; range=6-26) at 12 weeks (p=0.007). Baseline variables positively
and significantly (p<0.05) associated with the dietary adherence score
in multivariate analysis were: confidence in ability to follow the diet
after leaving the institute (b=0.98), severity of disease (b=1.44),
and level of education (b=0.88). Together, these three variables predicted
49% of adherence.
CONCLUSION: Among participants who attended
a raw vegan institute, adherence to a raw vegan diet increased and was
associated with baseline confidence in ability to adhere, severity of
disease, and level of education. Future interventions aimed at altering
diet should address self-efficacy, as this may be an important, remediable
predictor of successfully adhering to the diet.
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