EFFECT OF DIETARY COUNSELLING ON THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS

This study was conducted from August to November, 2008 to investigate the impact of dietary counselling on the nutritional status of tuberculosis patients. A total of 20 patients of both sexes were selected for the study at the Emergency Satellites Hospital, Nahaqi, Peshawar, Pakistan. Energy and nutrient intake of patients before and after dietary counselling were determined by the 24-hour dietary recall method. The weight and height of patients were measured for the determination of BMI. Serum protein concentrations of the patients before and after two months of counselling were determined by the biuret method. Before counselling the patients were consuming energy (75%), protein (55%), fat (78%) and carbohydrate (75%) of the recommended dietary intake and after counselling, the intakes of these nutrients increased to 88%, 78%, 90% and 86%, respectively. Before counselling 30% of patients were normally nourished but 40% were mildly, 25% moderately, and 5% severely malnourished, as compared to 45%, 45%, 10% and 0%, respectively after counselling. At the start of the study, 55% of patients had normal and 45% of patients had below normal serum protein levels compared to 85% normal and 15% below normal serum protein concentrations at the end of the study. The results of the study indicated that dietary counselling is a simple and effective mean of stabilizing nutritional status in tuberculosis patients.