Scoping Review - Involvement of informal caregivers and relatives in nutritional prevention

This scoping review investigates the involvement of informal caregivers in nutritional prevention interventions targeting patients with chronic diseases. Chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, obesity, and cancer often require long-term lifestyle changes, particularly in diet and physical activity. Informal caregivers—family members, spouses, or close relatives—frequently play a key role in supporting patients, yet their own needs and contributions are often overlooked in preventive strategies.

The primary objective of this project is to map existing interventions that simultaneously target both patients and their informal caregivers (the dyad), with the aim of improving dietary behaviors and physical activity. The review also aims to identify and describe the parameters and tools used to evaluate the effectiveness of these interventions, such as changes in diet quality, physical activity frequency, biometric outcomes (e.g., BMI, blood glucose levels), and quality of life.

This work will support the development of more inclusive and efficient strategies in clinical practice, considering the patient–caregiver dyad as a key unit of care. The review will be presented as part of a medical thesis and submitted for publication.