Group-based Education Improves Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Quality of Life for Celiac Patients

Celiac.com 02/07/2022 - A team of researchers recently set out to assess the effects of a group-based education program on gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in patients with celiac disease.

The research team included Zahra Akbari Namvar, Reza Mahdavi, Masood Shirmohammadi, and Zeinab Nikniaz.

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They are variously affiliated with the Department of Clinical Sciences, Paediatrics, Umea University, Umea, Sweden; the Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umea University, Umea, Sweden; the Department of Clinical Sciences, Paediatrics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Paediatrics, Linköping University, Linkoping, Östergötland, Sweden; and the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Family Medicine, Umea University, Umea, Sweden.

For their study, the team looked at 130 patients with celiac disease who had followed a gluten-free diet for at least 3 months.

Sixty-six patients were randomly assigned to receive group-based education for three months, while sixty-four received routine education in the celiac clinic for the same period of time. 

To assess gastrointestinal symptoms and quality of life, the team used the gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS) questionnaire and SF-36 questionnaire at baseline and 3 months after interventions. The mean age of the participants was about 37.5 years. Baseline values were similar for both groups.

Data taken three months after the study showed better total GSRS score in the group education cohort compared with the regular education group 3 months post-intervention, while the groups also showed significant differences in mean SF-36 scores.

Results showed that group-based education helps celiac patients to improve gastrointestinal symptoms and quality of life.

Read more in BMC Gastroenterology volume 22, Article number: 18 (2022)