Practices of diabetes mellitus patients attending the diabetic clinic towards diet recommendations in Apac General Hospital. A cross-sectional study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70572/agp.v3i4.36Keywords:
Diabetes mellitus, Diabetic clinic, Apac general hospital, Practices, insulin resistanceAbstract
Background:
Diabetes Mellitus is a persistent metabolic condition characterised by systemic hyperglycemia, arising from either impaired insulin secretion or diminished insulin sensitivity. This study aimed to determine the practices of diabetes mellitus patients attending the diabetic clinic towards diet recommendations at Apac General Hospital, Apac District.
Methodology:
The study design was descriptive and cross-sectional in nature, and it employed quantitative data collection methods. A sample of 30 respondents was selected using a simple random sampling procedure, and a questionnaire was used to collect data. The collected data was analysed and presented in the form of tables and figures.
Results:
Overall, 40% of the respondents were 46 years, 60% were married, (37%) respondents attained primary level education, and (60%) of the respondents were of the peasant background. The study found that 67% of the respondents did not always follow the Diabetic plate as recommended due to a lack of support, a lack of resources such as money to buy recommended food stuff, 60% did not always have vegetables in their meals, and 66.7% reported having one type of protein per meal. Whereas 70% of the respondents took alcohol, 83% took sugar-sweetened beverages like soda and juice. However, respondents had poor practices towards the recommended diet, as 20 (67%) did not always follow the Diabetic plate as recommended.
Conclusion:
Diabetic patients at the facility face significant barriers to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, primarily driven by socio-economic constraints and poor dietary habits. Despite the importance of a balanced diet, they failed to adhere to the recommended diabetic plate due to a lack of financial resources.
Recommendation:
Improvement in support and monitoring, more health education about the diabetic plate and diabetic diet, and the importance and benefits of adhering to the diabetic diet, among others, would help to better manage the disease.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Faridah Atoo, Tonny Mike Omara, Ronald Awoi , Denis Obong
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