Knowledge of and adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans by individuals with chronic spinal cord injuries and disorders.

OBJECTIVE

Assess knowledge of and adherence to DGA food group recommendations and their associations and evaluate beliefs about whether individuals with SCI/D should follow the same guidelines as those without SCI/D, and how these beliefs relate to adherence.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

SETTING

National Veterans Health Administration SCI/D Centers, Midwest Regional SCI Model System of Care, and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.

PARTICIPANTS

Veterans and civilians with SCI/D recruited by mailed invitation letters.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Knowledge of, adherence to, and beliefs about DGA applicability for individuals with SCI/D across food groups.

RESULTS

Participants were, on average, 58 years old, with a duration of injury of 12 years, and 57% had paraplegia. Knowledge of the DGA recommendation for each food group ranged from 24%-44%. Fewer than one-third adhered to DGA for all food groups. Knowledge was associated with better adherence for most food groups except vegetables. Forty-four percent or fewer believed each food group guideline applied to people with SCI/D; yet a greater proportion of those who did believe also met dairy, grain, protein, and oil guidelines.

CONCLUSION

Knowledge of and adherence to DGA were low, as were beliefs about DGA suitability for individuals with SCI/D. Greater knowledge of DGA and beliefs about suitability were both associated with better adherence to most food groups. Findings underscore the need to clarify the applicability of guidelines in persons with SCI/D and address knowledge gaps once determined.