Experiences with healthy eating among individuals with opioid dependence: insights from a dietary assessment.

Background: People with substance use disorders often have unhealthy diets, including a limited intake of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, individuals with substance use disorders experience a significantly higher burden of physical and mental health conditions compared to the general population. Poor diets may contribute to this, but few studies have explored how these dietary habits could be improved. Therefore, our objective is to investigate the experiences with healthy eating among individuals with opioid dependence.

Methods: We employed a qualitative design and recruited twelve patients undergoing opioid agonist therapy in Bergen. All participants were interviewed using a qualitative interview guide focused on experiences with healthy eating. Additionally, we conducted a dietary assessment using the DIGIKOST-FFQ tool, which was administered twice. Participants were then informed about how their diets aligned with the Norwegian dietary recommendations, and we interviewed them about their experiences with this information. Data analysis was carried out using systematic text condensation.

Results: Our findings show that many participants recognized the potential health benefits of healthy eating and how these were negatively impacted by their substance use. Even if many participants recognized the potential health benefits of healthy eating and how these were negatively impacted by their substance use, they had mixed reactions to receiving personalized dietary feedback. They expressed a need for support from the healthcare system to help improving their diets.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that individuals with substance use disorders are interested in changing their diets but lack the skills to do so. While receiving personalized feedback may be effective for some, it would likely need to be combined with other interventions to improve their overall health.