Knowledge and practice of diabetic diet in high-income persons with diabetes mellitus in Warri, Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: To assess the knowledge and practice of diabetic diet among high-income persons with diabetes mellitus (DM) attending a Diabetic Clinic in Warri, Delta State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Pre-tested questionnaire was used to document data on demographics, knowledge and practice of diabetic diet. A scoring system was designed to calculate scores for patient’s diet practices. Results: Sixty-five patients were included in the study. Thirty-four (52.3%) were females. The mean ±SD age of the study subjects were 56.83 ± 12.47 years. Fifty-seven (87.69%) had formal education. Fifty-eight (89.2%) received education on diet for persons with DM. Forty-six (70.8%) knew that diet was a form of treatment for DM. Only 3(4.6%) of all the patients knew their recommended total daily calorie. Diet counselling was done by dieticians, doctors, nurses, and others for 43.1%, 21.5%, 9.2%, and 4.6% of patients respectively. Only 40% of the patients received dietary counselling more than once. Twenty-two (33.8%) had difficulty complying with prescribed diet. Difficulty with complying with tubers practice was significant (P<0.004). A significant number of patients abstained from drinking soft drinks (P<0.001). There was a significant association between the knowledge that diet is a form of treatment for DM and the number of times patients were taught about diabetic diet (P<0.001). Conclusion: Less than 5% of persons with DM knew their recommended total daily calorie despite having received diet counselling. Dietary non-compliance is common, especially with beans and bean meals and fruits in persons with DM.

Keywords: diabetic diet, knowledge and practice, compliance, practice score, diabetes mellitus