Dietary factors associated with glycemic status among adults living with Type II Diabetes in Fako Division, Cameroon

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic disease that has recently been proposed as a health priority worldwide. Objective: To assess the influence of food security, food choices, and nutritional status on glycemic control among adults living with Type 2 Diabetes. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to select adults from two health facilities during their scheduled hospital visit. Data collection was done from November 2022 to March 2023 using a questionnaire comprising sociodemographic characteristics, nutritional status, food security, and dietary diversity sections. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 27.0. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were done to determine the factors associated with poor glycemic control. Results: The study included 299 respondents, and findings found that 77.9% of respondents had a poor fasting blood glucose level, while 22.1% had a good fasting blood glucose level. Respondents living in households with ≤4 family members were about two times more likely to have a poor fasting blood glucose compared to their counterparts living in households with more than 4 family members (aOR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.02-3.28, p=0.042). However, food insecurity, poor dietary diversity, and high body mass index were found not to be significantly associated with poor fasting blood in the study area (p>0.05). Conclusion: Most persons living with type II diabetes had poor glycemic control. Food security and dietary diversity were not found to influence the management of fasting blood glucose. However, small family size was the major determinant of the management of fasting blood glucose amongst adults.