Overview of systematic reviews: Effectiveness of non‐pharmacological interventions for eating difficulties in people with dementia

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for eating difficulties in people with dementia (PWD). BACKGROUND: Eat difficulties are common problems in PWD. Prolonged eating difficulties may lead to inadequate/excessive food and drink intake and other adverse outcomes. DESIGN: Overview of systematic reviews. DATA SOURCES: Cochrane Library, JBI Library, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, CNKI, WANFANG, from inception up until 23 September 2019. REVIEW METHODS: This overview was conducted in accordance with methodological recommendations of Cochrane. Two researchers independently selected studies based on inclusion criteria, extracted data, assessed eligible studies using AMSTAR 2 and GRADE system, and summarized the conclusions. RESULTS: Eighteen systematic reviews were included. Some evidence showed that environmental modifications, education/training, and Oral nutrition supplements (ONS) were beneficial to improving eating difficulties. But the current evidence failed to support the effectiveness of other interventions. CONCLUSION: The overall confidence of systematic reviews is relatively low. High-quality studies are needed to further validate the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for eating difficulties in PWD. IMPACT: This overview provides evidence on the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for eating difficulties in PWD. It will guide caregivers to choose more effective interventions to cope with eating difficulties and reduce the risk of adverse outcomes.