Abstract
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a life-long genetic disease, causing increased energy needs and a healthy diet with a specific nutrient distribution. Nutritional status is an indicator of disease prognosis and survival. This study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of a self-management mobile app in supporting patients with CF to achieve the dietary goals set by the CF nutrition guidelines. A clinical trial was conducted in pancreatic insufficient children with CF, followed in six European CF centres, where the self-management app developed within the MyCyFAPP project was used for six months. To assess secondary outcomes, three-day food records were compiled in the app at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of use. Eighty-four subjects (mean 7.8 years old) were enrolled. Compared to baseline, macronutrient distribution better approximated the guidelines, with protein and lipid increasing by 1.0 and 2.1% of the total energy intake, respectively, by the end of the study. Consequently, carbohydrate intake of the total energy intake decreased significantly (−2.9%), along with simple carbohydrate intake (−2.4%). Regarding food groups, a decrease in ultra-processed foods was documented, with a concomitant increase in meat and dairy. The use of a self-management mobile app to self-monitor dietary intake could become a useful tool to achieve adherence to guideline recommendations, if validated during a longer period of time or against a control group.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 1801 |
Journal | Nutrients |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 26 May 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Acknowledgments: The authors acknowledge the European Union’s funding to conduct this project and especially thank the participants and their families for their effort and enthusiasm.
Funding Information:
Funding: This research was funded by the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Framework Programme of the European Union (PHC-26-2014, Self-management of health and disease: citizen engagement and mHealth), grant number 643806.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.