Student dietitians' experiences with dietary compliance.

The majority of students (91%; no. = 10) thought that following a modified diet was a very valuable experience. The student who did not think the assignment was valuable had been following a diet similar to that assigned, although she did not report this on the pre-test diet evaluation form. Overall, students thought they were better able to identify what it was like to make major dietary changes, especially when those changes are imposed by someone else. They had an increased awareness of the feelings of deprivation that patients might experience when foods become restricted. The students also believed that they would be more understanding when counseling patients and make more diligent efforts to individualize the diet as much as possible. Some thought they had a better understanding of noncompliance and would now be more empathic toward their patients. Assessing the changes required and the degree of difficulty experienced helped the students bring what had been learned conceptually to a conscious awareness.