Survey: Adherence to Vitamins & Minerals Supplementation

[CherryZheng 3]

Hi everyone,

My name is Cherry, a graduate student in the Nutritional Sciences Program at University of Washington. As a future dietitian, I'm interested in bariatric nutrition and renal nutrition.

It is known that routine supplementation of certain Vitamins and minerals is a lifelong requirement for all bariatric surgery patients to minimize the risks of nutritional deficiencies on health. However, little research is on how patients are adherent to their supplement regimens and why they are unable to adhere to it. The research project that I'm currently working on aims to study post-operative adherence to Vitamins and minerals supplementation in people who underwent bariatric surgeries. The data is to be collected via an online survey.

Thanks to Alex Brecher. He gave me the permission to post my survey in the forum. If you are interested, please click the link below for the full survey:

Web link of the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LCWL627

Your participation will help us get a better understanding of this topic and enable healthcare providers to develop strategies to improve patients' adherence to supplementation.

Thanks for your time and any feedback.

Cherry

[HilaryInRC 116]

Hi Cherry,

It would be great if you could add a comment section at the end of the survey. The questions toward the end that asked about the last 4 weeks, I think were skewed for me because I'm only 2 weeks post-op. I think if I would have taken the survey at the 6 or 8 week mark, my answers would be very different. Just FYI.

-Hilary

[CherryZheng 3]

Hi Cherry,

It would be great if you could add a comment section at the end of the survey. The questions toward the end that asked about the last 4 weeks, I think were skewed for me because I'm only 2 weeks post-op. I think if I would have taken the survey at the 6 or 8 week mark, my answers would be very different. Just FYI.

-Hilary

Hi Hilary,

Thanks for your feedback! You made a very good point! However, the third part of the survey is taken from the SF-12® Health Survey, which has been validated, meaning that the researcher has come to the opinion that the survey is measuring what it was designed to measure. I cannot revise those 12 questions because it may jeopardize the validity of the third part of the survey.

But as you suggested, it is a great idea to add a comment section at the very end of the survey, so that participants can put down their thoughts, concerns, and issues about the survey and the research topic -- more valuable information!

Also, you reminded me that I should mention in the introduction section that the survey will be open until November 2014. So, such as your situation, you would have known that you could take it later when you feel the time is more appropriate

Thank you again for taking time to participate and comment.

Cherry

[CherryZheng 3]

Please help to participate this research if you are interested and available. sharing your experience and thoughts on this topic.

Thanks a lot!

[CherryZheng 3]

Please help to participate this research if you are interested and available. sharing your experience and thoughts on this topic.

Thanks a lot!

[moms2big 0]

Are you also doing surveys for how many gastric bypass patients have developed Addisons disease and/or Hypoglycaemia after having bypass surgery? I've been told by 2 different Endocrinologist and a Dietician that why I have it.

[CherryZheng 3]

Are you also doing surveys for how many gastric bypass patients have developed Addisons disease and/or Hypoglycaemia after having bypass surgery? I've been told by 2 different Endocrinologist and a Dietician that why I have it.

Thank you for replying.

Unfortunately, I'm not doing surveys for that, but based on my knowledge, Addison disease is a rare endocrine disorder, so I GUESS the incidence rate would be very low...(?) From my class, the exact prevalence and incidence of post-bariatric hypoglycemia (is this what you are talking about?) is still unknown, and available studies showed incidence rate between 0.22% to 1% in patients having gastric bypass.

I hope you have got adequate information and resources from your doctors and the dietitian to manage the complications.

Best wishes to you!!

[moms2big 0]

Problems are that insurance companies don't recognize hypoglycaemia as a health problem. My copay for the Addisons was over $600.00 and refuses me to see a dietitian. It took over 8 months to get authorization for my test strips. My endocrinologist quit. I am trying to learn how to eat and stop gaining weight due to steroids. I would be interested in knowing if the right balance of Vitamins would help with the Addisons. Thank you

[CherryZheng 3]

Problems are that insurance companies don't recognize hypoglycaemia as a health problem. My copay for the Addisons was over $600.00 and refuses me to see a dietitian. It took over 8 months to get authorization for my test strips. My endocrinologist quit. I am trying to learn how to eat and stop gaining weight due to steroids. I would be interested in knowing if the right balance of Vitamins would help with the Addisons. Thank you

I'm sorry to hear that, and it is sad that Medicare covers outpatient nutrition services only for individuals with diabetes, kidney disease and obesity; Medicaid can cover nutrition counseling for pre-bariatric surgery; coverage by private insurance varies depending on their plan, which is usually limited too.

I think that you have already done a lot of research online about how to manage the Addison. Here is a couple of resources that might be helpful but I don't know if you have found them before:

This guideline is very comprehensive and the Chapter 5 (page 13) talks about dietary intervention which addresses multivatimin supplements:

https://www.addisons.org.uk/info/manual/adshgguidelines.pdf

More discussion on Vitamins and minerals

http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/healthinfo/article.asp?ID=2871

Research studies on this topic are scarce, and most focused on Vitamin D...

ALWAYS check with your doctors, because everyone's condition is different.

And at last, right balance of vitamins and minerals is anyway HIGHLY recommended to individuals with gastric bypass.

Thanks for your questions which gave us ideas of what areas are still lack of research

[golden39 10]

Completed! I love that you are doing this research. I actually took this today (after seeing it a few times in here) because I keep forgetting to take all my Calcium - do good with my Multivitamin as I made this part of my morning routine but the calcium I forget throughout the day. Would love for you to share your results when you get this all complete!

[CherryZheng 3]

Completed! I love that you are doing this research. I actually took this today (after seeing it a few times in here) because I keep forgetting to take all my Calcium - do good with my Multivitamin as I made this part of my morning routine but the Calcium I forget throughout the day. Would love for you to share your results when you get this all complete!

Thanks for your participation and interest in the results. It's my pleasure to share them as I'm done.

[CherryZheng 3]

Please help to participate this research if you are interested and available. sharing your experience and thoughts on this topic.

Thanks a lot!

[CherryZheng 3]

Please help to participate this research if you are interested and available. sharing your experience and thoughts on this topic.

Thanks a lot!

[CherryZheng 3]

I'm going to start data analysis of the survey results soon, and my defense will be in the early December. However, the survey will open until I finish my thesis, since the more responses we get, the better we understand this topic and take care of individual concerns in the practical setting. The responses we got so far already gave us a great deal of new viewpoints and a variety of future research ideas!!

Please help to participate in this research if you are interested and available. sharing your experience and thoughts on this topic.

Thanks a lot for all you that have responded and those that will participate!

[CherryZheng 3]

Please help to participate this research if you are interested and available. sharing your experience and thoughts on this topic.

Thanks a lot!