Authors

  1. Arnone, Jacqueline MSN, RN
  2. Fitzsimons, Virginia EdD, RNC, FAAN

Abstract

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease affecting individuals at any time across the developmental lifespan. The only treatment for celiac disease is lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet to prevent future complications and malignancies. The ratio of occurrence between children and adolescents is 1:104. When the phase of adolescence is coalesced with having celiac disease, normal developmental tasks become more challenging, therefore impacting adherence with the gluten-free diet. An abundance of both qualitative and quantitative studies from the Netherlands, Europe, and Canada focusing on adolescents with celiac disease and adherence to the gluten-free diet was found in the literature. Conversely, in the United States, there was a dearth of literature examining adolescents diagnosed with celiac disease, their adherence to a gluten-free diet, and their lived experience of having celiac disease. The relevance to nursing practice and recommendations for future research are discussed in light of these findings.