Evaluation of dietary habits and related factors among type 2 diabetic patients: An innovative study in Iran

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to assess dietary habits and related factors among type 2 diabetic mellitus patients for designing an effective nutrition intervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive–analytical study was performed on 480 diabetic patients referred to four selected teaching hospitals affiliated to the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) in Tehran for a period of nine months in 2012. Patients’ dietary habits were measured by a 51-item self-report instrument with four general questions about dietary habits and four subscales reflecting domains including general diabetes information (12 items), planning, shopping for, and preparing meals (6 items), eating meals (17 items), and family influence on dietary habits (12 items). The collected data was analyzed by using SPSS software version 11.5. Results were considered significant at a conventional P < 0.05 level. RESULTS: Mean age of the participants was 59.96 ± 11.53 years. Mean scores in the domains were (53.72 ± 19.83), (57.31 ± 23.82), (52.27 ± 12.13), and (64.72 ± 14.3), respectively. Family influence on dietary habits was highlighted as the most important domain in the dietary habits instrument. Study results revealed that there was a significant association between the four domains and socioeconomic and some variables related to dietary habits such as dietary self-management, planned healthy lifestyle and attending diabetes educational programs. DISCUSSION: The important role of family on dietary habits among type 2 diabetic patients highlighted the role of perceived social support from the family. The results of the sociodemographic variables stressed the necessity of tailoring specific intervention programs accordingly.