Disclosures: Cria-May M. Khong, BS: No financial relationships or conflicts of interest
Objective: Evaluate the effect of a tele-nutrition program in individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI).
Design: Prospective observational cohort study. Setting : Community Hospital. Participants : 10 individuals with SCI completed the program.
Interventions: Tele-nutrition counseling via iPad Facetime and food photo journal (Ate Application) with a registered dietitian twice a month for 3 months (6 sessions per participant).
Main Outcome Measures: Patient Heath Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Life Satisfaction Index A (LSIA), Knowledge and Nutrition Evaluation with Supplement on Eating Behaviors, and body measurements were collected at baseline and 3-month follow-up. A Program Satisfaction Survey (PSS) was collected after program completion.
Results: Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to assess changes in outcome measures from baseline to 3-month follow-up in the 10 individuals that completed the program. No statistically significant differences were observed in weight, waist circumference, LSIA, or nutrition knowledge. Significant improvements in diet quality, measured by the Supplement on Eating Behavior total score, was observed (p=.008). A post-hoc itemized analysis on the Supplement on Eating Behavior revealed significant improvements in balanced meals (p=.008), reading food labels (p=.031), logging meals (p=.007), and monitoring portions of eating favorite foods (p=.031). The program satisfaction survey revealed participants endorsed a 97-100% program satisfaction in perceived health benefits, equipment, and overall satisfaction. Conclusions: Although there were no changes in weight, waist circumference, and quality of life measures, findings suggest that tele-nutrition counseling may impact behavioral food choices of individuals with SCI. High program satisfaction endorsed by participants in the program suggests that tele-nutrition counseling via iPad FaceTime may be suitable for individuals with SCI. This study provides preliminary data for an innovative, private, and convenient method of providing nutrition counseling that may successfully improved participants healthy diet choices.
Level of Evidence: Level II
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Khong CM, Wood S, Dirlikov B, Shem K. Tele-Nutrition Using iPad’s FaceTime for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury [abstract]. PM R. 2020; 12(S1)(suppl 1). https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/tele-nutrition-using-ipads-facetime-for-individuals-with-spinal-cord-injury/. Accessed May 16, 2025.« Back to AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2020
PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/tele-nutrition-using-ipads-facetime-for-individuals-with-spinal-cord-injury/