Problems Perceived by Adults in Adhering to a Prescribed Diet

Content analysis of inter-views with 21 subjects regarding their adherence to prescribed diabetic diets showed the following problems in order of fre-quency of mention: self-discipline, influence of other persons, impact of events, control of emo-tions, lack of material resources, self-image, and time constraints. Adherence to a prescribed diet requires that individuals learn specific dietary principles, alter previous patterns of eating, have sufficient physical energy to perform dietary activities, and reorganize dietary activities into new daily patterns. Each of these general capabilities encompasses more specific abilities, creating a potential for problems that reduce the chances of success in effectively modifying a diet. Therefore, it is not surprising that Lockwood et al ’ termed diet &dquo;the big-gest problem in diabetes.&dquo; This paper describes some of the problems that a selected group of persons with diabetes faced while trying to adhere to their prescribed diets. Materials Study subjects were members of a diabetic support group that met regularly at a medical center in a large Ohio city. Of 83 persons who had attended at least one support group meeting, 21 agreed to participate in the study. All participants were 21 1 years of age or older; were able to read, speak, and under-stand English; were in good health (eg, not hospitalized or confined to the home because of acute illness); were diagnosed as having had diabetes (NIDDM or IDDM) for three months or longer; and were recipients of a medically prescribed diet. Subjects were assured of anonymity and confidentiality and gave informed consent to be interviewed. Fifteen women and six men participated. The mean age was 58.7 (SD=7.36; range 45-74); 20 were white; 14 were mar-ried; almost all had had at least 12 years of education; 13 earned $20,000 or more (seven, over $30,000); seven had had diabetes for less than 10 years; and two lived in households with four or more persons and five (23.8%) lived alone