Dietary knowledge assessment among the patients with type 2 diabetes in Madinah: A cross-sectional study 

Abstract

Background: There is a huge burden of nutrition-related non-communicable diseases, and diabetes is one of the leading chronic nutrition-related diseases affecting more than 500 million people globally. Collecting information regarding the awareness of dietary and nutrition knowledge among diabetic patients is the first step to developing a disease prevention program. Thus, this study primarily aims at assessing the dietary awareness of diabetes patients attending the diabetic centre in Madinah governorate, Saudi Arabia. Methods: The study was started in November 2020 and ended in October 2021. The study participants (315) were type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients attending a diabetic centre in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. A self-prepared dietary knowledge questionnaire (DKQ) was used in this research. The variables include balanced diet, food type, food choice, carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Knowledge score was, and the total score was leveled/categorized into ‘good’, ‘average’, and ‘poor’. Data were analyzed by SPSS v.26. Results: The study results identified the current knowledge of T2DM patients about different dietary items. The knowledge score of 62.2% of participants showed an average level of dietary knowledge, which is statistically significant. When we separately evaluated their understanding of different dietary components, we found that T2DM patients had poor knowledge of carbohydrates (30.15%), fat, food choices (47.7%), and type (34.6%). However, they had acceptable knowledge of proteins (56.5%). Conclusion: Our participants exhibited acceptable knowledge about proteins but poorer knowledge of other food groups. A healthy, well-balanced diet is essential for excellent glycaemic control. It is recommended to educate and arrange a health education program regarding dietary knowledge, specially designed for diabetic patients so that patients can opt for a healthier lifestyle.

The Influence of Eating Habits on Type 2 Diabetes in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review

“…This review showed that high diet knowledge and skills were associated with healthy diet consumption and that female gender was associated with high diet knowledge. Another previous study found most participants showed an average level of dietary knowledge in general, as well as poor knowledge of carbohydrates, fat, and poor food choices [47]. Similarly, this review found inadequate diet knowledge and practices more common among men than women.…”

“…A study conducted on Asian, Middle-Eastern, and North African immigrants in Saudi Arabia showed they are more likely to engage in unhealthy diets, leading to compromised health [46]. Knowledge was also highlighted as another factor influencing dietary habits [4,47]. This review showed that high diet knowledge and skills were associated with healthy diet consumption and that female gender was associated with high diet knowledge.…”