Adherence to a gluten-free diet in celiac disease patients from Paraguay.

Introduction and aim: The treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet that should be strictly and permanently carried out. Our aims were to determine adherence to the gluten-free diet and the risk factors for non-adherence.

Materials and methods: An observational, cross-sectional, comparative study was conducted. It included individuals of both sexes and of any age that presented with celiac disease, lived in Paraguay from January to April 2021, and agreed to participate in the survey. Incomplete questionnaires were excluded. Non-probabilistic convenience sampling was utilized. Adherence was measured using the Leffler questionnaire. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Universidad Privada del Este.

Results: The sample consisted of 371 respondents, 322 (87%) of whom were adults, with a mean age of 38 ± 12 years, and 49 (13%) of whom were children and adolescents, with a mean age of 10 ± 5 years. Female sex was predominant (85%). Adherence to the gluten-free diet was detected in 59% of the adults and 73% of the children and adolescents. The factors significantly associated with adherence included belonging to the child and adolescent age group and having had the diagnosis for a longer time: 9 ± 8 years for the adherence group and 7 ± 8 years for the non-adherence group.

Conclusions: The present study demonstrated the frequency of adherence to the gluten-free diet in celiac patients in Paraguay. Psychologic and nutritional support is recommended for individuals with celiac disease that do not adhere to their treatment.