Aim. This paper is a report of a descriptive study on what life is like as a woman living with coeliac disease (CD).

Background. The therapy for CD is a gluten-free diet (GFD), and if sufferers keep strictly to this it is suggested that they will stay well. However, previous studies point out that people who are treated for CD, particularly women, experience various kinds of inconvenience in relation to having CD and to being treated with GFD.

Methods. A phenomenological approach as devised by Giorgi was used. Taperecorded qualitative interviews with a total of 15 women who were being treated for CD were conducted in 2008 in Sweden.

Results. The results demonstrated that CD can influence women’s lives in different ways. The general structure of being a woman with coeliac disease was described as a striving towards a normalised lifeworld. Three  conditions necessary to achieve a normalised life were described, namely being secure, being in control and being seen and included.

Conclusion. The results of this study can help caregivers, and others, to understand and develop support for women with this condition.

Aim and objective.  To assess the effects of an active method of patient education on the psychological well-being of women with coeliac disease in remission.

Background.  Despite remission with a gluten-free diet, adults with coeliac disease and especially women experience a subjective poor health. Self-management education seems to be promising tool to help patients suffering from coeliac disease to cope with their disorder.

Design.  A randomised controlled trial. Methods.  A total of 106 women, ≥20 years, with confirmed coeliac disease, who had been on a gluten-free diet for a minimum of five years. The intervention group (n = 54) underwent a 10-session educational programme, 'Coeliac School', based on problem-based learning. The controls (n = 52) received information regarding coeliac disease sent home on a regular basis. The primary outcomes were psychological general well-being measured with a validated questionnaire.

Results.  Participants in the Coeliac School reported a significant improvement in psychological well-being at 10 weeks, whereas the controls given usual care reported a worsening in psychological well-being. After six months, a significant improvement remained for the index of vitality.

Conclusions.  Patient education increased psychological well-being in women with coeliac disease. There is a need to refine the methods of patient education to make the effects of well-being more pronounced over time.

Relevance to clinical practice. Patient education using problem-based learning promotes self-management in coeliac disease by improving the well-being of patients who have been struggling with the gluten-free diet for years.

Despite living with a gluten-free diet Swedish women with celiac disease report a higher rate of gastrointestinal symptoms than women without the disease. This study was designed to assess the impact of active patient education on gastrointestinal symptoms in women with a gluten-free diet. A total of 106 Swedish women, > 20 years, with celiac disease on a gluten free diet for minimum five years took part in a randomized, controlled trial. The intervention group (n=54) underwent a ten-session educational program “Celiac School”, based on problem-based learning. Controls (n=52) were sent information regarding celiac disease at home. Outcome measure was gastrointestinal symptoms at ten weeks and six months after intervention, assessed with the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale. After ten weeks “Celiac school” (p=0.013) the participating women reported significant improvements that remained six months later (p=0.029). The controls did not improve significantly. A comparison of the development of scores, from baseline to 10 weeks, could not demonstrate a significant difference in the overall index between the two groups but showed a significant improvement concerning one of its components, namely the index reflecting Abdominal Pain (p= 0.007). Intervention methods should be refined in order to reach an even more pronounced effect.