Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

1987

Thesis Director

Paul D. Overton

Abstract

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between nutrition and alcoholism in general, specifically how nutritional therapy and education can benefit the recovering alcoholic, and to explore the degree to which nutritional aspects have been developed and practiced in residential and inpatient programs in region 2, excluding the city of Chicago, and in region 3B as defined by the Division of Alcoholism, Illinois Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, January 15, 1980.

Procedure

A standardized questionnaire was used in a telephone survey of 40 alcoholic treatment programs in the two regions. The addresses, locations and telephone numbers of these programs were obtained from two sources. The first was the Illinois State Directory of Resources and Services of the Illinois State Plan for the Treatment and Prevention of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, January 15, 1980. The second was the National Directory of Drug Abuse and Alcoholism Treatment and Prevention Programs, September 28, 1984.

The results of the survey were summarized, tabulated and analyzed.

The study was divided into five chapters. Chapter one explained the background, purpose and organization of the study. In Chapter two the literature on nutrition and alcoholism was reviewed. Chapter three described the limitations, procedures and definitions. Chapter four dealt with data analysis and the results of the survey and Chapter five was devoted to summary, findings and recommendations.

Findings

Six findings emerged from this study: (1) Nutrition was stressed in the process of recovery and the interviewees were aware of the role nutrition can play in healing the body from the effects of alcoholism and in contributing to eventual recovery, (2) Supervised intake of some vitamins was encouraged, (3) the time spent on educating the alcoholics about the value of nutrition was very little and the family, unless it indicated so, was usually excluded from these educational sessions, (4) most of the interviewees perceived that alcoholism was a physiological disease, as compared to a psychological, behavior disorder, or weakness of character, (5) there was no significant difference between the perception of alcoholism or the stress on the role that nutrition plays in the process of recovery among the various programs whether they are hospital or residential, and (6) in the opinion of the interviewees these programs as a whole did not warn against the dangers of smoking, caffiene or sugar.

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