Poster Presentation 2025 Joint Meeting of the COSA ASM and IPOS Congress

Access to nutrition care and its association with dietary change among people receiving cancer treatment in regional Western Australia (126649)

Emily Jeffery 1 , Natalea Lampropoulos 2 , Daria Primak 2 , Therese A O'Sullivan 3 , Emily Mountford 4 , Annemarie De Leo 3 , Mary Kennedy 3
  1. School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
  2. School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
  3. Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
  4. Bunbury Regional Hospital, WA Country Health Service - South West, Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia

Objectives/purpose

To explore factors that predict referral to a dietitian or nutritionist and understand if there is an association between access to expert nutrition care and dietary change among people receiving cancer treatment in a regional healthcare system.

Sample and setting

Adults (18+) who completed cancer treatment within the last five years in South West region of Western Australia.

Procedures

Participants were invited to complete an online survey between September 2023 and July 2024, designed to understand people’s experience of receiving supportive care during cancer treatment. Descriptive summaries were used for quantitative data and logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of dietitian/nutritionist referral and dietary change. 

 Results

Ninety-seven participants were included. Thirty-five percent (n=34) of participants reported accessing a dietitian or nutritionist via a referral. Low-malnutrition risk cancers (e.g. breast, prostate) were significantly less likely to receive a referral than high-malnutrition risk cancers (e.g. head and neck) (OR=6.46, 95% CI 2.34-17.86, p<0.001). Age, gender, and insurance status were not significantly associated with referral to a dietitian or nutritionist. Participants who received care from a dietitian or nutritionist had approximately 10 times higher odds of making dietary changes (OR=10.21, 95% CI 2.29-45.30, p<0.002) than those who received guidance from a non-nutrition health professional or the internet. Personal choice was the primary enabler to dietary change (64%) whereas beliefs that dietary changes were unnecessary (35%) and treatment side effects (32%) were common barriers. 

Conclusion and clinical implications

This study revealed differences in access to expert nutrition care based on cancer diagnosis. There was an increased likelihood of dietary change among people receiving care from a dietitian or nutritionist, emphasising the role of nutrition professionals in cancer care. Improved referral practices, particularly for low-risk cancers, are required to enhance equity of care in regional Western Australia.