Objective: To examine the efficacy of behavioral intervention compared with enhanced standard of care nutrition intervention on increasing dietary calcium intake of children with inflammatory bowel disease.
Method: Children aged 5 to 12 years old (N = 32) were randomly assigned to the behavioral intervention or enhanced standard of care conditions. Three-day food diaries collected on all participants at baseline and post-treatment were analyzed for dietary calcium intake.
Results: Children in the behavioral intervention group achieved a significantly greater mean increase in dietary calcium intake (M= 984 mg) than children in the enhanced standard of care group (M = 274 mg) (P < 0.05). In the behavioral intervention group 81% of children achieved the daily calcium intake goal of 1500 mg/day compared with only 19% of children in the enhanced standard of care group, (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: Behavioral modification appears to be significantly more effective than nutrition education alone in modifying calcium intake in children with inflammatory bowel disease.