This brief research report examined barriers to dietary adherence among hospitalized patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) in a safety-net hospital serving predominantly low-income and African American populations. The study synthesized observations from bedside nutrition counseling sessions involving 26 adult CHF patients hospitalized at Harlem Hospital Center in New York City between March and July 2022.
The investigators identified two major categories of barriers to dietary adherence: knowledge gaps and socioeconomic/structural constraints. Patients commonly struggled with sodium restriction, nutrition label interpretation, and recognizing hidden sodium sources in processed and restaurant foods. Some patients mistakenly assumed that vegetarian or vegan diets were automatically heart healthy without considering sodium content.