Work

Evaluating Dietary Knowledge and Barriers to Self-Management of Type 2 Diabetes in Rural Kentucky: Cross-Sectional Interview Survey

Year: 2017

Type: article

Abstract: To determine the challenges that residents of rural Kentucky face regarding diabetes self-management and to identify methods that may promote diabetes management based on a population’s needs, semistructured questionnaires were used to interview 71 adults with diabetes (40 food pantry customers and 31 grocery store customers). Although 70.1% reported following healthy diets, only 43.3% could correctly choose between pairs of healthy/unhealthy food options. Only 21% of food pantry customers (assumed low-income participants) ate healthy. Lower income participants had a 7.79 times greater chance of having a family history of diabetes and had lower perception of having proper weight than grocery store customer participants ( p = .036). Of all participants, 85.5% were motivated to manage their diabetes through diet, and 73.8% were interested in attending free healthy cooking classes. Participants who believed that diet is important in controlling diabetes revealed greater interest in attending cooking classes ( p = .017). To promote healthy diets, offering free healthy cooking classes may be an effective way of communication with patients with diabetes from lower socioeconomic and educational status.

Source: SAGE Open

DOI: 10.1177/2158244017738553

Authors: Sahar Ashrafzadeh, Hadi Tohidi, Kianoosh Nasseh

Institutions: Harvard University, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Western Kentucky University

Language: English

Topic: Diabetes Management and Education

Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities, No poverty

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,600