Effects of a health promotion intervention in the Mexican population with celiac disease

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effect of a health promotion care model in adolescents and young adults with celiac disease. Method: A quasi-experimental study. A total of 136 people participated, who, after obtaining informed consent, received a virtual intervention in August and September 2023. The data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test. Results: Regarding the celiac symptom index, statistically significant differences were found, with a large effect size, where pretest scores were higher than posttest scores (p < 0.001). Regarding lifestyle, it was found that health-promoting behaviors presented statistically significant differences, with a large effect size. Pretest scores were lower than posttest scores (p < .001). Conclusion: This groundbreaking study in Mexico demonstrated that health education significantly improves lifestyle and reduces symptoms in celiac patients who previously received limited attention to a gluten-free diet. It also highlights the crucial role of nurses as health educators in this field.