Qualitative Eating behaviours and well-being in a CF sample
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Eating behaviours and well-being in a Cystic Fibrosis sample: A qualitative interview exploration
IRAS ID
177299
Contact name
Helen Egan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Birmingham City University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 0 days
Research summary
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the United Kingdom’s most common life-limiting genetic disease (Jackson & Pencharz, 2003), caused by defects in a recessive gene (CFTR) located on chromosome seven (Abbott, Hart, Morton, Gee & Conway, 2008). Clinicians have focused on patients maintaining a healthy body weight by eating a high-energy and high-fat diet (Abbott et al, 2008), as maintaining adequate nutrition is crucial in this population. There is a wide body of evidence documenting eating difficulties in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Nutritional status is a key predictor of survival for people with CF. Therefore, research is needed to assist and enhance the ability to provide effective nutritional advice to CF patients.
Past research in eating behaviours and CF populations appears problematic. Indeed, past research has consistently failed to connect cystic fibrosis with a specific eating disorder. This has led contemporary research to two main problems. First, certain behaviours and attitudes that are considered disordered in the general population do not apply to the CF population. Specifically, the compulsive nature of eating calorie-dense or high energy foods, restrictive eating with some types of foods, as well as preoccupation with food, should all be considered life enhancing and health maintaining attitudes and behaviours. Second, current findings are not informative and are not aligned with interventions that could be of help to clinicians and CF patients. In fact, current literature lacks basic information in regards to eating behaviours in CF populations.
Therefore, it appears significant to explore eating behaviours using qualitative methodology in order to investigate and understand the meaning of food and eating as presented by people with CF.
REC name
East Midlands - Nottingham 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EM/0199
Date of REC Opinion
7 May 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion