Nutrition education for cardiovascular disease prevention in individuals with spinal cord injuries: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Trials, 2017 · DOI: 10.1186/s13063-017-2263-2 · Published: November 22, 2017

Spinal Cord Injury Cardiovascular Science Nutrition & Dietetics

Simple Explanation

This study aims to determine if nutrition education can improve cardiovascular health in people with spinal cord injuries (SCI). People with SCI often have a higher risk of heart disease. The study will compare a nutrition education program to usual care in two groups: people newly injured and in rehabilitation, and those living in the community with chronic SCI. The goal is to see if the education program improves nutrition knowledge, behavior, and overall diet quality, potentially reducing heart disease risk factors.

Study Duration

12 months

Participants

200 participants with spinal cord injuries

Evidence Level

Level 1: Randomized controlled trial

Key Findings

1
The study hypothesizes that participants receiving nutrition education will improve their nutritional knowledge and behavior compared to those receiving standard care.
2
The primary desired outcome of the nutrition education program is an improvement in nutrition behavior among individuals with SCI.
3
Secondary outcomes include increased nutrition knowledge, improvement in dietary quality, less weight gain, and improvement in metabolic CVD risk factors.

Research Summary

The study is a randomized controlled trial examining the effectiveness of a nutrition education program, Eat Smart, Live Better, compared to usual care in acute and chronic SCI cohorts. The intervention consists of six nutrition education sessions focusing on the DASH diet, MyPlate, and Nutrition Guidelines for Individuals with SCI. The study will assess changes in nutrition behavior, knowledge, diet quality, adiposity, and metabolic CVD risk factors at 12-month follow-up.

Practical Implications

Rehabilitation Programs

The study results could demonstrate the potential for implementing nutrition education programs in rehabilitation facilities to improve nutritional behavior among individuals with SCI.

CVD Risk Reduction

If shown to be effective, the nutrition education program could help lower the burden of CVD and CVD risk factors in the high-risk SCI population.

Future Research

Positive results could lead to future studies examining the long-term impact of nutrition education on reducing the incidence of diabetes and CVD in individuals with SCI.

Study Limitations

1
The intervention briefly addresses the benefits of physical activity but does not emphasize this issue throughout the program.
2
Physical activity is also measured from participant recall, which can be subject to error.
3
The nutrition intervention is based on MyPlate and the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, although higher protein intakes are recommended in the Nutrition Guidelines for Individuals with SCI.

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