Dietary satisfaction correlated with adherence in the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study.

OBJECTIVE: To measure satisfaction with modified protein eating patterns and the relationship of satisfaction to adherence and sociodemographic factors in a clinical trial. DESIGN: Participants completed the Dietary Satisfaction Questionnaire at baseline, at 6-month follow-up visits, at annual visits, and at the final visit. Satisfaction with diet was rated on a visual analog scale from 1 (dislike extremely) to 5 (like very much). Adherence to protein goals was assessed using urine urea nitrogen excretion from monthly 24-hour urine samples. SUBJECTS: 840 adults with chronic renal disease. INTERVENTION: Individual participants, randomly assigned to a usual-protein, low-protein, or very-low-protein group, received monthly counseling from a dietitian for an average of 26 months. STATISTICS: Analyses of variance and two-sample t tests compared, among study/diet groups, satisfaction with diet, its relationship to adherence and sociodemographic characteristics, and changes in satisfaction over time. Paired t tests compared changes within diet groups from baseline to final visit. RESULTS: From the baseline visit to the final visit, satisfaction with the prescribed eating pattern increased slightly in the usual-protein group, declined slightly in the low-protein group, and declined significantly in the very-low-protein group. Participants in all of the eating pattern groups who were more satisfied at the final visit had mean protein intakes closer to their assigned protein goals. This relationship was significant in the low-protein group (P < .05). In men, satisfaction with diet declined significantly from baseline to the final follow-up visit in the very-low-protein group. APPLICATIONS: The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study Dietary Satisfaction Questionnaire may be useful in other research and clinical settings to assess and enhance dietary adherence.