Dietary habits in Italian children with inflammatory bowel disease: A case‐control multicenter study

Abstract

ObjectivesPatients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) tend to self‐modify their dietary habits according to disease activity and symptoms. This study aimed to assess the adequacy of the usual diet in Italian children with IBD in comparison to a control group and to the recommended dietary allowances (RDA).MethodsDietary habits of IBD children and age‐ and gender‐matched healthy controls were investigated using a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire in five Italian pediatric IBD centers. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) was assessed using the KID‐MED test. Energy (EI), macro, and micronutrients intakes were compared between the two groups, to the RDA and the predicted total energy expenditure (EI/total energy expenditure [TEE]%).ResultsIBD subjects (n = 110) reported a lower EI, EI/RDA%, and EI/TEE% compared to controls (n = 110) (p = 0.012, p < 0.0002, and p = 0.014), lower total protein and fat intakes (p = 0.017, p < 0.0001) and lower minerals/RDA, vitamins/RDA and micronutrients/RDA ratio (%). Poor adherence to the MD was more frequent in IBD children compared to controls (p = 0.013). The total EI and carbohydrate intake were inversely correlated with higher disease activity.ConclusionsItalian children with IBD report an inadequate diet in terms of energy, macro, and micronutrients and have a low adherence to a high‐quality MD pattern.