Dietary practice and associated factors among type 2 diabetic patients in Gambella region hospitals, Ethiopia
ISSN: 0034-6659
Article publication date: 25 April 2022
Issue publication date: 28 June 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Dietary management is one of the cornerstones of diabetes care and is based on the concept of healthy eating in the context of social, cultural and psychological influences on food choice. In Ethiopia, there is a scarcity of data on diabetic patients’ dietary practices, which undervalues their importance in diabetes management. Hence, this study assessed the level of proper dietary practice and its associated factors among type 2 diabetic patients in Gambella hospitals, Ethiopia.
Design/methodology/approach
An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 190 randomly selected diabetic patients in two hospitals in the Gambella region, Ethiopia. Data was entered into Epidata version 3.1 and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Logistic regressions were used to check the association between dietary practice and explanatory variables. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess the strength of the association between dependent and independent variables.
Findings
More than half (57.4%) of the study participants followed a healthy dietary practice. Getting nutritional education from doctors (AOR = 4.6; 95% CI: 1.6, 13.2, p = 0.031), having access to fruits and vegetables (AOR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.1, 4.1, p = 0.018) and family involvement during patient counseling (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.9, 6.5, p = 0.021) were factors associated with good dietary practice.
Research limitations/implications
A self-reporting method was used rather than direct observation of patients’ dietary practices, which may result in recall bias.
Practical implications
Adherence to the recommended dietary practice among diabetic patients was relatively low. The integration of diabetes-based nutritional advice with family involvement and strengthening agricultural activities should be emphasized in the study area.
Originality/value
The two-hospital design of this study ensures that a representative sample of study subjects in the Gambella hospitals is obtained, which is useful for intervention strategies and activities. Data gathering tools that were standardized and verified for use by the World Health Organization were used.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Ethics statement: The study was conducted following the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethical review committee of Mettu University. The purpose and significance of the study were explained to each participant. Informed consent was obtained from each study participant before they were interviewed, and participants’ involvement was only voluntary. Participants who did not wish to participate and wanted to resign at any point during the interview were told they could do so without consequence. The questionnaire did not include the names of the participants, and the data was kept confidential at all stages of the research.
The authors would like to express their deepest gratitude to Mettu University, the Gambella regional health bureau and the respective hospital administrators for the provision of ethical clearance, and to study participants, data collectors and supervisors for their time and full commitment.
Conflict of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest regarding the research, authorship and publication in this work.
Data availability statement: The data sets used and/or analyzed during this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Citation
Teklemariam, T., Bidira, K., Bacha, G. and Zewdie, A. (2022), "Dietary practice and associated factors among type 2 diabetic patients in Gambella region hospitals, Ethiopia", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 52 No. 5, pp. 886-897. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-11-2021-0353
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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