ABSTRACT
Effective nutritional management is of critical importance in the treatment of patients with chronic conditions and diseases (5,6). However, for a great many patients, starting and sustaining new nutritional regimens at home and work requires a significant change in behavior, for which they need support. Patients must be able to accept clinician-recommended behavior change, understand what needs to be done differently, establish these changes in their daily lives, receive feedback on progress, and sustain the changes over time. Psychologists have long been concerned with the
medical regimens (7,8). This chapter discusses behavioral challenges facing patients, as well as the role of clinicians, in clinical nutritional management; summarizes relevant psychological theory that emphasizes applied behavior analysis and social cognitive theory approaches; provides a selective review of research on simple and comprehensive behavioral interventions used to promote nutritional adherence; presents a practical, evidence-based model for promoting patient adherence; and identifies important areas for future research and practice.
