Status: Complete
Completed in 2018, this project examined why some adults with coeliac disease fail to achieve full healing of their bowel or suffer persistent symptoms despite many years following a gluten free diet; why doesn’t the gluten free diet always work?
The study examined the impact of factors such as: the risk of being ‘glutened’ when eating out, the potential presence of gluten in manufactured food, and the impact of knowledge of the gluten free diet and psychological factors on adherence to the diet.
This research has led to the publication of a number of journal articles:
– Gluten in “gluten-free” food from food outlets in Melbourne: a cross-sectional study: https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2018/209/10/gluten-gluten-free-manufactured-foods-australia-cross-sectional-study
– Maintenance of a gluten free diet in coeliac disease: The roles of self regulation, habit, psychological resources, motivation, support, and goal priority: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195666317317865?via%3Dihub
– Food knowledge and psychological state predict adherence to a gluten-free diet in a survey of 5310 Australians and New Zealanders with coeliac disease: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29733115
– Industry survey assessing the use of VITAL and PAL by Prof Katie Allen (MCRI collaborators): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cea.12923
– Gluten in “gluten-free” manufactured foods in Australia: a cross-sectional study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30404591
This was a highly informative project that has provided data on several important aspects affecting the gluten free diet and its adequacy. It also led to various collaborations and will support further work in this important area.