Developing tailored dietary advice for people with MS

Although there currently are no conclusive dietary guidelines for people living with MS that delay or prevent disease progression, there is great demand from the MS community for easily accessible information to help with healthy food choices. Previous research has shown that people living with MS embrace support and advice to self-manage MS and improve their quality of life, and dietary advice is often sought as part of planning a wellness strategy. Additionally, symptoms of MS such as cognitive issues, depression, fatigue and pain can play havoc with day-to-day life, affecting food choices and the effort required to prepare food, possibly leading to suboptimal nutrition. 

The aim of Dr Vivienne Guan’s research involved developing and evaluating a mobile phone app to support people living with MS to self-manage food choices in line with current Australian dietary guidelines. For people living with MS, this may relieve some of the cognitive stress associated with planning and co-ordinating food choices on a daily basis.  

Utilising the background of her extensive experience in information technology, Dr Guan co-developed the app with practicing dietitians, people living with MS and academics in Computer Science and Information Technology to reflect the current needs of the MS community, whilst being user-friendly and readily available. It was anticipated that this community involvement would lead to an app which promotes self-management, reduces stress and improves the quality of life for those living with MS.