Chronic kidney disease (CKD) often requires several dietary adjustments to control the disease-related disturbances. This is challenging for both patients and healthcare providers, and particularly for dietitians, who deal closely with the poor adherence to dietary recommendations. Factors associated with poor adherence within the CKD scenario and the need for a shift in the paradigm have already been indicated in several studies; however, rarely are any different and/or potential strategies actually formulated in order to change this paradigm. In this review, we aimed to explore the concepts and factors surrounding adherence to dietary recommendations in CKD and further describe certain potential strategies for a nutritional counseling approach. Such strategies, while poorly explored within CKD, have shown positive results in other chronic disease scenarios. It is timely, therefore, for healthcare providers to acquire these new counseling skills; nevertheless, this would require a rethinking of the traditional attitudes and approaches in order to build a partnership, based on a nonjudgmental and compassionate style in order to guide behavior change. The reflections presented in this review may contribute towards enhancing motivation and the adherence to dietary recommendations in CKD patients.
Keywords: behavior change; chronic kidney disease; dialysis; diet; nutritional counseling.
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