Awareness of Type 2 Diabetic Patients about the Importance of Exercise and Diet on Diabetes Type 2 in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is becoming more prevalent in undeveloped countries, what is known about self-care practice is insignificant, like self-monitoring of blood glucose, balanced diet, Medication adherence, and exercise. For people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, exercise is usually one of the first control measures recommended. These practices are considered as the basis of diabetes management. OBJCTIVE: The study goal is to assess the awareness of type 2 diabetic patients about the importance of exercise and diet on diabetes type 2. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational survey study that was carried out in western Province, Saudi Arabia. A questionnaires were used to ask about the background information and patients’ demographics, self-monitoring of blood glucose, eating and drinking habits, exercise habits, and beliefs about the effectiveness of diet and exercise on blood glucose. RESULTS: A total of 568 type 2 of diabetic patients. The average age of the participants was 51.89 ± 12.82 years, 53.5% were females, 89.8% were educated, 81.2% were married, and 30.1% were from Jeddah city. 30.3 % of patients did not practice healthy habits, and 43 % did not exercise, even though 90 % believed that exercise and diet had a positive impact on glucose level in the blood.Male patients showed considerably a higher percentage of those who continued to engage in unhealthy habits such as “smoking, eating fast food, eating sugars, or drinking soft drinks. CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of Saudi diabetic patients did not follow a healthy diet and exercise on a regular basis. Health policymakers should conduct effective health education sessions for diabetic patients on the importance of a healthy diet and exercise in diabetes management.