Compliance to a gluten-free diet in adolescents, or "what do 300 coeliac adolescents eat every day?".

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Compliance to a gluten-free diet is currently an important issue in the care of both adolescent and adult coeliac patients. The aim of this study was evaluate the compliance to a gluten-free diet and the dietary habits in general of coeliac teenagers and young adults.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 306 adolescents and young adults were followed in a coeliac clinic. They were grouped on the basis of: strict compliance to a gluten-free dietary regimen (n = 223, 73%); dietary transgressions 2-3 times/month (n = 46, 15%); and frequent transgressions or a full gluten-containing diet (n = 37, 12%).

RESULTS

The physical growth status was optimal in the male patients, and less so in the females, but was not related to compliance. Symptoms were very rare in all groups. Compliance to the diet was related to sex (females better than males), age (younger better than older), good school grades, and good self-esteem.

CONCLUSIONS

The teen-agers studied consumed an average of about 11.32 kg/month of gluten-free products provided by the Italian Health System. Gluten-free pasta and bread were the daily choices. The mean cost for each patient was estimated to be Italian Lire 242,640 (ECU 124) per month or ECU 1,490/year.