Adherence to Dietary Recommendations

Getting a patient to make changes in his or her diet is difficult under ordinary circumstances, but cultural factors can further complicate a patient's ability to adhere to recommended dietary changes. Food and diet are so closely related to culture that failure to incorporate a patient's dietary customs is a recipe for noncompliance. For example, some cultures have strict beliefs about the kinds of food a woman can eat during pregnancy or if she has recently given birth. Others follow food guidelines based on religious beliefs. Ask the patient about any dietary restrictions. It is helpful to get a sense of the patient's usual diet and the way foods are prepared at home. If you show interest and respect for the patient as an individual and as part of a cultural tradition, you will be rewarded with information about dietary beliefs and practices that will help you find suitable ways to get the patient to make the dietary changes you propose.

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