A Simple Dietary Questionnaire Correlates With Formal Dietitian Evaluation and Frequently Identifies Specific Clinical Interventions in an Outpatient Gastroenterology Clinic.
The spectrum of gastroenterology-related diseases related to obesity is growing. Few clinical tools exist to aid in clinician-guided dietary counseling.



(1) Develop and validate a 1-page diet history form that would provide information on dietary factors that can contribute to gastrointestinal (GI) illness and to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet; and (2) evaluate the form in a general GI clinic to determine its potential utility as a clinical tool.



A 1-page diet history form was developed and underwent qualitative and quantitative validation in comparison to a formal diet evaluation by a registered dietitian. The form was then evaluated in consecutive patients attending a general GI clinic, and analyzed for overall diet content, compliance with a Mediterranean diet, and presence of high-risk (red flag) dietary behaviors.



The form was evaluated in 134 patients. In a validation cohort (n=30) the qualitative dietary components measured were highly concordant with a formal dietary interview. Total daily calorie intake correlated with formal dietary review (R=0.61), but tended to underestimate total calories due to less precision in portion size. The prospective cohort (n=104) patients had a mean body mass index of 29.8. Overall, 52.9% were obese, 50% had metabolic syndrome, and 51% had a primary GI illness directly impacted by dietary factors (gastroesophageal reflux, irritable bowel, fatty liver). Overall, 85.6% of patients documented red flag behaviors. Patients with obesity trended for more red flags than overweight or normal body mass index groups.



A 1-page diet questionnaire correlated well with formal dietary assessment and identified clinically relevant dietary interventions in a high percentage of GI patients.
*Departments of Medicine, Nutrition, and Health Services Research and Development, VA San Diego Healthcare System †Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA.
Sterling M
SM
Dubin
Jaya
J
Vadivelu
Nedret
N
Copur-Dahi
Leslie
L
Miranda
Dana
D
Palermo
Braj
B
Pandey
Erik J
EJ
Groessl
Samuel B
SB
Ho
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005762:Gastroenterology / Q000379:methods; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D064686:Nutritionists; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010045:Outpatients; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires