Celiac diet: its impact on quality of life

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a gluten-free diet, examining food consumption and limitations on quality of life for those with celiac disease. Twenty-nine items on self-administered questionnaires queried demographics, lifestyle, and food use. Some items were from the Rand Survey (Rand Corporation, Santa Monica, CA). Most responses used three- or five-point Likert scales. They were mailed to members of the Westchester Celiac Sprue Support Group. Of the 274 responses, 253 were usable and were the basis of the compiled results. Seventy-four percent of the respondents were female; 42% were between the ages of 36 and 55 years of age, and 46% were more than 55 years of age. Frequencies and cross-tabulations indicated several areas of negative impact in maintaining a gluten-free diet. They included the difficulties of dining out (86%), travel (82%), and impact on family (67%) and less of a negative impact on career or work (41%). The gluten-free diet impacted various lifestyle aspects of the quality of life for individuals with celiac disease.