Nutrition counseling and monitoring via tele-nutrition for healthy diet for people with spinal cord injury: A case series analyses

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.