"I see diet almost as another disease modifying therapy. It's that important." A qualitative study of dietitian and nursing perspectives on the role of diet and brain health for multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND

To explore the perspectives of dietitians and nurses on how they value the role of diet in multiple sclerosis (MS) management and their current dietary practices and recommendations.

METHODS

Australian healthcare professionals with experience consulting people living with MS were recruited via online advertisements through MS Australia and MS Nurses Australasia, purposive and snowball sampling. Eligible clinicians partook in one, online, semi-structured interview scheduled for a period of up to 60 min. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and audio-verified. Transcripts of MS nurses and dietitians were analysed inductively using reflexive thematic analysis to identify semantic codes and key themes.

RESULTS

Transcripts of 10 dietitians and nine MS nurses were analysed and three main themes were identified to highlight diet's perceived role in this context: (1) the provision of dietary advice is inconsistent, (2) clinicians have a crucial role in empowering informed dietary choice, and, (3) diet has an important and multifactorial role in MS management.

CONCLUSIONS

Both dietitians and nurses perceived diet to play a significant role in the lives of those living with MS by providing a sense of control and empowerment, preventing/managing comorbidities, aiding management of symptoms, and nutritional adequacy. However, the nutrition advice and dietary recommendations provided by dietitians and MS nurses is largely inconsistent.