Health control for celiac patients: An analysis according to the pender health promotion model

Abstract

Objectives: to describe the health control habits that influence the daily life of celiac patients and to analyze the practice of actions related to health control and its determinants, from the perspective of the first component of the Pender Health Promotion Model. Method: a cross-sectional study conducted through interviews with instrument with 83 individuals from Ceará and diagnosed with celiac disease. Data was analyzed using the characteristics and individual experiences component of Pender’s theoretical model. Results: of the celiac patients, 96.4% did not follow the gluten-free diet; 80.7% had inappropriate behaviors to reduce risk factors; 72.3% made ineffective choices in daily life to achieve health goals and; and 25.3% could not keep the gluten free diet in their daily life. Conclusion: according to the theoretical model, celiac patients did not adhere to the proper diet and presented factors inherent to daily life and social issues, characterized as barriers to an effective health control.