Adolescents with celiac disease: A literature review of the impact developmental tasks have on adherence with a gluten-free diet

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease affecting individuals at any time across the developmental lifespan. The only treatment for celiac disease is lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet to prevent future complications and malignancies. The ratio of occurrence between children and adolescents is 1:104. When the phase of adolescence is coalesced with having celiac disease, normal developmental tasks become more challenging, therefore impacting adherence with the gluten-free diet. An abundance of both qualitative and quantitative studies from the Netherlands, Europe, and Canada focusing on adolescents with celiac disease and adherence to the gluten-free diet was found in the literature. Conversely, in the United States, there was a dearth of literature examining adolescents diagnosed with celiac disease, their adherence to a gluten-free diet, and their lived experience of having celiac disease. The relevance to nursing practice and recommendations for future research are discussed in light of these findings. © 2012 Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates