Vennberg Karlsson, J., Patel, H., & Premberg, A. (2020). Experiences of health after dietary changes in endometriosis: a qualitative interview study. BMJ open, 10(2), e032321. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032321
Vennberg Karlsson J, Patel H, Premberg A. Experiences of health after dietary changes in endometriosis: a qualitative interview study. BMJ open. 2020;10(2):e032321. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032321
Vennberg Karlsson, Jenny, et al. "Experiences of health after dietary changes in endometriosis: a qualitative interview study." BMJ open, vol. 10, no. 2, 2020, pp. e032321.
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RRM Academy Synopsis
12 adults with endometriosis report less pain after diet changes
In interviews, 12 Swedish adults with endometriosis who had changed their diets to ease symptoms said that they had less pain, more energy and greater well-being after the changes. They also reported little support from health care professionals.
Key Findings
Of the 12 participants, aged 28 to 44, most excluded or decreased gluten, dairy products and carbohydrates, and they also added foods such as fruit, vegetables and fish.
Thematic analysis produced four main themes and nine subthemes, covering motives for change, growing awareness of the body, fewer symptoms, and the role of support in keeping the diet going.
Participants reported that pain lessened or went away and that they used less pain medication; some also described lighter bleeding and cycles that lengthened to about 28 days.
Participants described higher energy, less tiredness and an easier time with work, household tasks and parenting, and they reported fewer sick days.
Participants called support from family and friends important for keeping up the changes, and they described their experiences with health care professionals as dominated by a lack of interest.
Interpretation
The study is a qualitative interview investigation. It records how 12 people with a diagnosis made by a physician experienced their health after choosing their own diets. Most participants came from Swedish online support forums, and thematic analysis organized their accounts. The authors note that the design was not intended to find a causal relationship between diet and better health. They name two open questions for future research: which dietary changes help, and whether the effect comes from the food or from the sense of control that self-management brings.
RRM Context
Body literacy means learning to read the body's signals, and it is a principle of restorative reproductive medicine (RRM). Participants described building it by watching how their bodies responded to each change. RRM seeks the root cause of endometriosis, and excision is the surgical standard. Participants also described little interest from clinicians in what they had noticed.
Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.
Abstract
Objectives
Endometriosis is a chronic disease with no known cure. Persons affected by this disease often use complementary therapies such as dietary changes to reduce their symptoms, and so it is important to investigate whether and how these therapies affect endometriosis symptoms. The aim of this study was to explore how persons with endometriosis experienced their health after dietary changes.
Design
Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 persons with endometriosis who had made individual dietary changes aimed at decreasing their endometriosis symptoms. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and analysed using thematic analysis.
Setting
Region Västra Götaland and the estern part of Central Sweden, Sweden.
Participants
Twelve persons with endometriosis aged 28 to 44 were recruited from two Swedish endometriosis support forums on the Internet.
Results
Participants experienced an increase in well-being and a decrease in symptoms following their dietary and lifestyle changes. They also felt that the dietary changes led to increased energy levels and a deeper understanding of how they could affect their health by listening to their body's reactions. The participants understood that they could influence their symptoms through lifestyle changes. Support from family and friends was important in implementing and sustaining the dietary changes. However, the participants stressed the lack of support from healthcare professionals.
Conclusions
This study contributes to filling the knowledge gap about dietary strategies in endometriosis and lifestyle change as a method of alleviating suffering and increasing well-being. An important finding is that the participants experienced decreased symptoms and increased well-being after adopting an individually-adapted diet. Healthcare professionals should take their patients' knowledge and experience into consideration, and allow patients to participate in their own care. Further research is necessary to give evidenced-based dietary advices in endometriosis.
