Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic gastrointestinal disorders that can severely affect quality of life and social activities. Food practices have important social and cultural implications, but these practices may be disturbed in patients with IBD. Despite the growing body of scientific evidence supporting the role of food and diet in the pathogenesis and management of IBD, much is still unknown about the impact of IBD on the daily food practices of patients and their families.
In this project, we conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with children and adolescents with IBD and their parents. Our analyses focus how participants used food and diet to help them cope with the illness, and the impact on the food practices of the entire family. We further explore how the participants’ food practices include but are broader than considerations of clinical symptoms, and reflect their personal, familial, social and cultural experiences.
For more information about this project, please contact Kieran O’Doherty at kieran.odoherty@uoguelph.ca, or Kim Chuong at hchuong@uoguelph.ca.