Low Diet Quality and Nutritional Knowledge in Women with Endometriosis: A Pilot Study

Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease characterized by ectopic endometrial tissue outside the uterus that can cause chronic pain, dysmenorrhea, fatigue, and infertility. The aim of this study was to assess diet quality and nutritional knowledge of women with endometriosis. A questionnaire...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Angelika Bogusz, Magdalena Górnicka
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-03-01
Series:Healthcare
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/6/673
_version_ 1797240806602440704
author Angelika Bogusz
Magdalena Górnicka
author_facet Angelika Bogusz
Magdalena Górnicka
author_sort Angelika Bogusz
collection DOAJ
description Endometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease characterized by ectopic endometrial tissue outside the uterus that can cause chronic pain, dysmenorrhea, fatigue, and infertility. The aim of this study was to assess diet quality and nutritional knowledge of women with endometriosis. A questionnaire was used to collect data on lifestyle, dietary habits and nutritional knowledge from 90 women. More than 80% of women with endometriosis (82.2%) confirmed that diet and lifestyle are related to the progression of endometriosis. After being diagnosed with endometriosis, 77.3% of respondents reported a change in their dietary habits and made various changes to their diet by increasing or eliminating the consumption of certain foods. The majority declared reducing pro-inflammatory products, increasing anti-inflammatory foods, including the consumption of vegetables and fruits, avoiding white/or red/or processed meat, and avoiding sweets. Nevertheless, diet quality as assessed by the pro-healthy diet index (pHDI-10) and the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) showed a low intensity of consumption of pro-healthy food (average pHDI-10 value 31.4%; MDS 7.55/14 points, <i>p</i> = 0.0001). Women with endometriosis reported lower than recommended consumption of fruits, vegetables, dairy products and whole grains. A higher percentage of healthy controls had a “good” level of nutritional knowledge than women with endometriosis. The results of our study highlight the need to improve diet quality and nutritional knowledge among women with endometriosis as well as developing targeted dietary recommendations to help improve well-being and reduce the pain symptoms of endometriosis.
first_indexed 2024-04-24T18:13:17Z
format Article
id doaj.art-38e60b1de5404e2db09af5a180a64906
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2227-9032
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-24T18:13:17Z
publishDate 2024-03-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Healthcare
spelling doaj.art-38e60b1de5404e2db09af5a180a649062024-03-27T13:43:48ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322024-03-0112667310.3390/healthcare12060673Low Diet Quality and Nutritional Knowledge in Women with Endometriosis: A Pilot StudyAngelika Bogusz0Magdalena Górnicka1Department of Human Nutrition, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska St. 159C, 02-776 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Human Nutrition, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska St. 159C, 02-776 Warsaw, PolandEndometriosis is a chronic gynecological disease characterized by ectopic endometrial tissue outside the uterus that can cause chronic pain, dysmenorrhea, fatigue, and infertility. The aim of this study was to assess diet quality and nutritional knowledge of women with endometriosis. A questionnaire was used to collect data on lifestyle, dietary habits and nutritional knowledge from 90 women. More than 80% of women with endometriosis (82.2%) confirmed that diet and lifestyle are related to the progression of endometriosis. After being diagnosed with endometriosis, 77.3% of respondents reported a change in their dietary habits and made various changes to their diet by increasing or eliminating the consumption of certain foods. The majority declared reducing pro-inflammatory products, increasing anti-inflammatory foods, including the consumption of vegetables and fruits, avoiding white/or red/or processed meat, and avoiding sweets. Nevertheless, diet quality as assessed by the pro-healthy diet index (pHDI-10) and the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) showed a low intensity of consumption of pro-healthy food (average pHDI-10 value 31.4%; MDS 7.55/14 points, <i>p</i> = 0.0001). Women with endometriosis reported lower than recommended consumption of fruits, vegetables, dairy products and whole grains. A higher percentage of healthy controls had a “good” level of nutritional knowledge than women with endometriosis. The results of our study highlight the need to improve diet quality and nutritional knowledge among women with endometriosis as well as developing targeted dietary recommendations to help improve well-being and reduce the pain symptoms of endometriosis.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/6/673endometriosishealthy dietMediterranean dietnutritional knowledgePolish women
spellingShingle Angelika Bogusz
Magdalena Górnicka
Low Diet Quality and Nutritional Knowledge in Women with Endometriosis: A Pilot Study
Healthcare
endometriosis
healthy diet
Mediterranean diet
nutritional knowledge
Polish women
title Low Diet Quality and Nutritional Knowledge in Women with Endometriosis: A Pilot Study
title_full Low Diet Quality and Nutritional Knowledge in Women with Endometriosis: A Pilot Study
title_fullStr Low Diet Quality and Nutritional Knowledge in Women with Endometriosis: A Pilot Study
title_full_unstemmed Low Diet Quality and Nutritional Knowledge in Women with Endometriosis: A Pilot Study
title_short Low Diet Quality and Nutritional Knowledge in Women with Endometriosis: A Pilot Study
title_sort low diet quality and nutritional knowledge in women with endometriosis a pilot study
topic endometriosis
healthy diet
Mediterranean diet
nutritional knowledge
Polish women
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/12/6/673
work_keys_str_mv AT angelikabogusz lowdietqualityandnutritionalknowledgeinwomenwithendometriosisapilotstudy
AT magdalenagornicka lowdietqualityandnutritionalknowledgeinwomenwithendometriosisapilotstudy