Objective: To evaluate the effect of a tele-nutrition counseling program on diet quality, weight, waist circumference, and quality of life in people with spinal cord injury (SCI).
Design: Prospective observational study.
Participants: Fifteen participants with SCI were enrolled from an acute inpatient rehabilitation unit and outpatient SCI clinic; ten participants completed the intervention.
Interventions: Six tele-nutrition counseling sessions over 3 months, utilizing videoconferencing and a photographic food diary.
Outcome measures: Weight, waist circumference, Life Satisfaction Index A (LSIA), Knowledge and Nutrition Evaluation with Supplement on Eating Behavior, and Program Satisfaction Survey (PSS).
Results: Ten participants completed both baseline and 3-month follow-up evaluations and were used in this analysis. There were no statistically significant changes from baseline to 3-month follow up in weight, waist circumference, Knowledge and Nutrition Evaluation, and LSIA (P > .48). Using the Supplement on Eating Behavior total score to measure overall changes in healthy food choices, 9 out of 10 participants rated their healthy food choices as improving (P = .008). A post-hoc exploratory itemized analysis on the Supplement on Eating Behavior revealed significant improvements from baseline to 3-month follow-up in participant's self-reported choice of balanced meals (P = .008), reading food labels (P = .031), logging meals (P = .007), and monitoring portions of eating favorite foods (P = .031). Participants endorsed a 97-100% satisfaction rating in relation to perceived health benefits, equipment, and program satisfaction.
Conclusion: This study provides preliminary data suggesting that tele-nutrition is an efficacious intervention that may improve diet quality for individuals with SCI.
Keywords: Nutrition; Spinal cord injury; Tele-nutrition; Weight management.