Dietary and physical activity habits of adults with inflammatory bowel disease in Aotearoa, New Zealand: A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Aims: To describe (1) dietary intake, food avoidance and adequacy, and (2) physical activity levels and barriers among New Zealand adults with inflammatory bowel disease.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey comprising four questionnaires collecting data on demographics, disease activity index, dietary intake and physical activity levels was distributed. Exclusion criteria applied to those who were pregnant/lactating, with a stoma or pouch, or on enteral/parenteral nutrition. Descriptive analyses were performed, and dietary intakes were compared to established references. T-tests, equality-of-medians tests and two-sample proportion tests investigated differences between disease types.

Results: Two hundred and thirteen adults with mostly quiescent or mildly active inflammatory bowel disease (53% Crohn's disease) completed at least one questionnaire. Participants were predominantly female (70%), New Zealand European (89%) with a median age of 37 years. Discretionary food intake was high, while fruit and vegetable consumption was generally suboptimal. Food avoidances were reported by 69% of participants, primarily dairy and vegetables. A higher proportion of participants with ulcerative colitis or inflammatory bowel disease-unspecified avoided gluten and unprocessed red meat. Inadequate intakes of calcium (69%), selenium (40%) and magnesium (26%) were common. Most participants limited vigorous physical activity, but 67% met the physical activity guidelines. Barriers to physical activity were reported by 63% of participants, where fatigue (54%) and abdominal cramps (26%) were common barriers.

Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that New Zealand adults with inflammatory bowel disease had inadequate dietary intake and faced several barriers to physical activity, even when in remission.