Knowledge, attitudes and dietary practices in patients with diabetes mellitus type II [Conocimientos, actitudes y prácticas dietéticas en pacientes con diabetes mellitus II.]

The profile of type-II non-insulin dependent diabetic patients is characterized by overweight; exogenous obesity originates from inadequate nourishment habits and, among other things, educational, cultural, and psychological conditions. With regard to metabolic deficiency control, the explanation is centered fundamentally on the patient's not getting a complete diet. This could be due to a lack of information about their illness, thus becoming a determining factor in their treatment. The purpose of this study was to analyze the level of knowledge, attitudes, and dietary education practices by means of a survey using the likert scale. This was applied by means of a direct and codified interview directed to patients in a Primary Care Health Unit from the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. 201 Type II diabetic patients, selected from a systematic sample, were studied. The average age was 54 and predominantly female (a ratio of 1.7 to 1). The sample had an academic background not surpassing the elementary school level, and their occupation was that of housewife. Their central glycemia level was, on the average, 191 mg/dl with a standard deviation of 120. The average number of years of having suffered from the illness was 5.5 with a standard deviation of 5. Ninety per cent of the diabetic patients take oral hypoglucemiants. Although there does exist a high level of knowledge and attitudes about dietary education, there exists a low level of educational practices. We observed that only 10 per cent of the diabetic patients have both an acceptable metabolic control (CMA) and a high value in knowledge, attitudes, and practices (CAP).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS