Effectiveness of a nutrition education programme for individuals with celiac disease and their supporters through social media (GLUTLEARN project).

INTRODUCTION

Social media has become a popular tool for patients with Celiac Disease (CD) to find information about their disease. However, limited research has been conducted to evaluate the impact of information shared on social media, specifically regarding CD.

OBJETIVE: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a nutrition education program on CD and gluten-free diet (GFD) delivered through social networks by experts in the field.

METHOD: The program, called GLUTLEARN, was delivered over six weeks via Instagram to individuals with CD and their supporters (people involved in the care of individuals with CD). Pre and post-intervention questionnaires were used to evaluate the program's effectiveness.

RESULTS

A total of 93 participants (63 with CD, 30 supporters), predominantly female (92.5 %) and European (93.5 %), took part in the program. GLUTLEARN has been found to be effective in improving the knowledge of people with CD and their supporters and improving attitudes among individuals. Furthermore, they showed a high level of concern about the disease and an interest in continuous learning.

CONCLUSION

Social networks give advantages for promoting nutrition education. Nevertheless, it is important to feed these nets with reliable information. The GLUTLEARN program is a valuable method for delivering reliable and current education about CD and the GFD, which leads to better disease control. It would be beneficial for more interventions to focus not only on individuals with CD but also on those who are avoiding gluten for various reasons or are involved in their care.