Impact of Nutrition Education and Monitoring on Biochemical Parameters of Type 2 Diabetic Patients at the National Reference General Hospital of N’djamena/Chad

Abstract

Aims: This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of nutrition education and monitoring on the health outcomes of type 2 diabetic patients with comorbidities. Study Design: The study was a controlled trial. Place and Duration of Study: Endocrinology and Diabetology Unit, National Reference General Hospital of N’Djamena, between July and October 2023. Methodology: The study involved 120 diabetic patients with comorbidities of both sexes, divided into two groups: a control group of 24 patients that maintained their usual diet without nutritional guidance, and an intervention group of 96 patients that received individualized dietary counseling tailored to their diabetic status and associated conditions. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were measured at baseline and after the nutritional follow-up. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire developed with Sphinx Plus² version 5 Lexical Edition (2013). Statistical analyses were performed with IBM SPSS Statistics 23, and group comparisons were made using the Chi-square test. The nutritional intervention included personalized meal planning, regular weight monitoring, and encouragement of physical activity. Results: The results revealed that nutritional monitoring resulted in significant (p<0.05) reductions in mean levels of fasting blood glucose (1.19%), glycated hemoglobin (2.5%), triglycerides (0.9%), total cholesterol (0.67%), LDL (0.81%), creatinine (5%), and body mass index (7%) in obese and overweight diabetic patients. Additionally, it led to lower blood pressure in hypertensive diabetics, reduced renal impairment, and heart failure. Notably, HDL levels increased by 0.4%. Furthermore, the study showed a significant (p<0.05) improvement in knowledge about the importance of diet for diabetic patients, with a 35.5% increase in awareness. Conclusion: Nutrition education was shown to enhance diabetics’ knowledge and skills in designing varied meal plans and improving their overall health status.