Assessment of the Awareness, Effect, Impact and Sustainability of Dash Diet on Hypertension; As Perceived by Practicing Dietitians: An Observational Survey-Based Study

AbstractObjective: Nutrition and diet play an important role in the overall wellbeing of an individual and is known to have a major role in preventing and management of many non-communicable diseases like hypertension. This study aimed to understand the role of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension in controlling and management of high blood pressure. A survey-based questionnaire was circulated among the dietitians to understand the effect, impact and awareness of DASH diet among patients seeking their dietetic consultation. Methods: The sample size consisted of 50 dietitians who gave dietetic consultation to hypertensive patients. A questionnaire consisting of 35 questions was circulated among dietitians and their responses was captured either in paper/digital format. Results: The awareness of DASH diet among the dietitians was very high. Among the 50 dietitians, majority (98%) of the dietitians were aware of DASH diet. The awareness of DASH diet amongst the patients who visited them was however varying in nature. Majority of dietitians recommended their hypertensive patients to follow DASH diet (sometimes / always). While dietitians agreed that DASH diet contributes in controlling hypertension, they believed that the diet on its own is not effective, and they had mixed opinion on its effectiveness when it was followed along with taking medication. Dietitians observed reduction in both systolic and diastolic BP reading in their patients who followed DASH diet. Within the five independent approaches of DASH diet, dietitians saw reduction in BP reading for their patients who “increased fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains”, or “increased intake of potassium rich food”. Dietitians however did not see significant reduction in BP readings in their patients who “reduced their salt intake”, “reduced sugar intake”, or “reduced saturated fatty foods and red meat”. Around 57.14% dietitians said that their patients found DASH diet to be sustainable as the diet was trackable/measurable and was easy to follow. In today’s age of growing technology only 44% dietitians reported that trackers and smart apps helped their patients only sometimes to adhere to dietary modifications plan. Conclusion: The study clearly found that there was reduction in both systolic and diastolic BP readings in patients who followed DASH diet. The study conducted clearly highlighted the lack of awareness among the general patient population regarding DASH dietary intervention method. The results from the study highlights the need for implementing awareness campaigns as a public health initiative, having frequent health check campaigns, use to social media to create awareness and implementing government health initiatives. Keywords: hypertension, DASH diet, dietitians, systolic, diastolic, tracker, sustainability.