DIETARY PATTERNS

In order to promote healthful trends, insight is needed in the behavioraldeterminants of nutrition behaviors. Most research on behavioral determinants has been linkedwith individuals’ physical health and socio-economic factors. However, health behavior isinfluenced by individual physical health and abilities. Multiple dynamics of chronic illnesseswithin human body influenced the dietary patterns. For disease prognosis, doctors advisedpatients to observe preventive measures. Objective: The researchers tried to identify thechanges in the dietary patterns protective effects of food consumption such as mutton, chicken,beef, snacks and sweets on chronic illnesses that reduce the risk factors and contribute in thepatients’ health behaviors. Setting: The empirical data was collected from three Dialysis Units:Mayo Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore General Hospital and all admitted patients of PunjabInstitute of Cardiology, Lahore. Methodology: These four hospitals have good turn-over ofthe patients should in this exploratory study, purposive sampling method was used. For thecollection of quantitative data, a hospital-based survey was conducted by using a structuredinterview schedule. Study Subjects: 275 patients (131-cardiac and 144-renal failure) including184 males (67%) and 91 females (33%) between age of 20 to 110 years were interviewed. Agemean ± standard deviation was 44 years; S.D = 15.338. Data Analysis: Descriptive statistics(frequencies, percentages) and multiple response tables were deployed to find out the researchgoals across heart and kidney diseases. Results: Results indicates that before illness, majority238 (86.5%) of the patients took three meals. After illness, 34% patients changed the foodconsumption. In two meals, 96.7% patients used vegetables, 86.2% used pulses along withchapatti, and 98.5% used tap water to drink. In other drinks, 87.6% used tea, 50.5% used milk,and 52% used to drink lassi. A high proportion (65%) of patients for first treatment consultswith GP’s. 10.6% changed their food consumption on the advice of hakeem/homeopathic and10.6% changed on the advices of others. 78% were unable to perform their daily activities andneed help; 89% patients changed food choices; and 86% patients follow doctors’ advices.Conclusion: Change in diet is a contributing factor towards health and well-being duringillness. It reduces risk factors and a good indicator of patients’ health behaviors to cope withthe disease.