[[alternative]]Dietary Fiber Intake and Associates in Colorectal Cancer Patients

[[abstract]]AbstractBackground/Aims: World Health Organization recommended adults take more than 25 grams of fiber daily. Consuming foods high in dietary fiber, such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits, is beneficial to prevent common chronic diseases, and even serves as protection against colorectal cancer recurrence. As to understand more about this healthy behavior, this study aimed to assess the patterns of dietary fiber intake and related factors in newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients.Methodology: This descriptive study was a part of an ongoing nursing intervention study to promote bowel management and dietary fiber intake for newly diagnosed colorectal cancer patients in Taiwan. The baseline data included 55 participants. Dietary fiber intake was measured via a web-based 91-items Food Frequency Questionnaire, and factor associated with dietary fiber intake was acquired from Dietary Fiber Food scale and demographic profile. All questionnaires were administered in Chinese. Results: This sample size had a mean age of 61.4. A majority of participants have completed the university-or-above education. The mean intake of dietary fiber and fiber density was lower than the recommendation with 13.6 g/day and 10.2 g/1000kcal/day respectively. Dietary fiber intake was mostly from refined grains, fruits, vegetables and soybean products. Hierarchical Multiple Linear Regression Analysis revealed that those who were single, used computer for searching dietary information and had knowledge about cooking or preparing for fiber food consumed higher dietary fiber (Adjusted R2 = 0.292).Conclusion: The finding from this study indicated that most colorectal cancer patients consumed less fiber than that needed. They should be provided knowledge about dietary fiber, and advance their health information-seeking behaviors and management skills for fiber food cooking and preparing at home.Key words: dietary fiber, dietary fiber intake, colorectal cancer