Curtin University researchers have trialled an online nutrition education program designed to help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) manage their symptoms through healthy eating.
'Eating Well with MS' was co-created with the MS community and provides a tailored approach to meet the specific needs of people living with the chronic condition, which affects the central nervous system.
Lead researcher Dr Rebecca Russell, from the Curtin School of Population Health, said more than 33,000 Australians live with MS and diet can potentially impact their symptoms and disease progression.
"Making dietary changes can give people with MS a sense of control over the disease, but there's a lot of conflicting information online. This program was developed to fill the gap in accessible, evidence-based nutrition advice," Dr Russell said.
"We enlisted 70 people with MS to evaluate the program's effectiveness and participants rated it 6 out of 7 for usefulness, reporting significant improvements in diet quality, meal planning and the ability to critically assess nutrition claims.
"Our next step is a larger national trial, with the ultimate goal of making this program accessible to all Australians living with MS."
'Eating Well with MS' includes recipe booklets and behaviour-changing techniques and covers topics ranging from understanding healthy eating to making informed decisions about the special diets marketed to people with MS.
Perth mother of two, Michelle Evans, who was diagnosed with MS six years ago, said the six-week program helped her navigate confusion around what to put on her plate.
"There's so much contradictory information out there and it can be hard to make the right choices. The 'Eating Well with MS' program helps give a clearer understanding of how diet can play a role in the management of my symptoms," Ms Evans said.
Dr Russell said the initiative demonstrates the potential for co-designed, online educational tools to complement traditional healthcare delivery, especially for communities with specific needs.
"As people with MS continue to seek out ways to manage their condition through lifestyle changes, 'Eating Well with MS' offers a promising resource for improving their overall diet quality which can impact their quality of life," Dr Russell said.
Published in the journal 'Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders', the research was supported by MSWA and an MS Australia Incubator Grant.
This study, titled 'Feasibility of a co-designed online nutrition education program for people with multiple sclerosis', was part of the MS Nutrition Research Program, led by Professor Lucinda Black across Curtin and Deakin Universities.
