Poster Presentation International Celiac Disease Symposium 2026

Improving Knowledge and Confidence in Individuals Managing Celiac Disease Through a Dietitian-Led Virtual Education Program  (#213)

Vanessa Weisbrod 1 , Anne Lee 1 2 , Meghan McKeon 1 , Marilyn Geller 1 , Emma Kowzun 1 , Melinda Dennis 3 , Jessica Lebovits 2 , Sadie Nagle 4 , Renee Euler 5 , Joanna Perl 6 , Janelle Smith 7 , Sharon Weston 8
  1. Celiac Disease Foundation, Needham, MA, United States
  2. Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
  3. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
  4. Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States
  5. Nutrition Redefined, Albuquerque, NM, USA
  6. Vanderbilt Health, Nashville, TN, United States
  7. University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
  8. Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

Background: The gluten-free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease (CeD), yet many individuals receive limited dietitian-led education after diagnosis. The Celiac Disease Foundation developed Foundations of Celiac Disease, a free, live virtual education series led by registered dietitians to improve knowledge, confidence, and self-management skills among individuals with CeD and those supporting someone with CeD. 

Methods: Three live program cohorts were delivered between February and July 2026. Participants completed pre- and post-program surveys related to CeDmanagement.  Knowledge and confidence were assessed over 11 domains. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests to compare responses between pre- and post-program surveys. 

Results: Across three cohorts, 838 participants completed the baseline survey and 79 (9%) completed the post-program survey. Participants were predominantly female (88.4%) and represented a broad age range, with the largest proportion aged ≥65 years (27.4%). The majority of participants (65.0%) reported a diagnosis of CeD within the previous five years. Approximately one-quarter of participants screened positive for food insecurity at both baseline and follow-up.  

Participants demonstrated improvements across all 11 knowledge and confidence domains, with six domains demonstrating statistically significant shifts, including understanding CeD (p<0.001), understanding how gluten affects the body (p<0.001), preventing cross-contact (p=0.027), and overall confidence managing a gluten-free diet (p=0.027). Mean confidence scores improved for overall confidence managing a gluten-free diet (3.63 vs. 4.01), identifying science-based information (3.33 vs. 3.70), understanding CeD (4.22 vs. 4.51), and preventing cross contact (3.75 vs. 4.03). Following program completion, 76.8% reported moderate or significant improvement in confidence managing CeD, and 97.1% would recommend the program. 

Conclusions: A structured, dietitian-led virtual education program was associated with improved knowledge and confidence across essential domains for CeDmanagement. The program demonstrates the potential of accessible, evidence-based nutrition education to support individuals navigating a gluten-free diet.