TITLE: A PILOT STUDY ON DIETARY AWARENESS IN DIABETES MANAGEMENT AMONG PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS IN RURAL AREA.
Sruthi Durgam, Ashok Venakatanarasu, Jayachander Durgam, Rajamouli Durgam
Sri Venkateswara Nursing home, Gandhari, Kamareddy, Telangana, India.
BACKGROUND:
Prevalence of Diabetes mellitus is increasing progressively, including in rural areas. Diet is one of the important components of management of Diabetes. It is essential to have awareness about diet among patients in achieving good glycemic control. 
AIMS:
To know the awareness of dietary management among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in rural area.
Methods:
It was a cross sectional and observational pilot study which was carried out at Sri Venkateswara nursing home, Gandhari, Telangana (India) by involving T2DM patients from rural areas . It was done with questionnaire made in local language. This questionnaire addressed basic knowledge of diet, willingness to change their dietary habits and management of hypoglycemia. If a person gets ≥50% correct answers considered as having reasonable good awareness regarding dietary management.
RESULTS:
Total 104 patients were enquired about awareness of importance of diet. Age of patients was 46.8 ± 9.5 years with male to female ratio was 0.85. Reasonable good dietary awareness was present in only minority (19%, 20 out of 104) of subjects. Majority (70%) of patients are thinking that diet is one of the important aspects in management of Diabetes. Around 2/3(73%) of patients are in belief that only sugar containing foods/drinks are responsible for increasing the blood glucose levels, but only around quarter(27%) people are know that all kinds of foods, depending on its type it will increases blood glucose levels. After diagnosing Diabetes, majority were avoided only sugar containing foods and drinks as dietary modifications. However, only 10% patients were modified their diet proportions with fresh fruits and vegetables along with avoidance of sugar containing foods/drinks. Nearly half of the patients were not maintaining fruit or other fiber rich servings. Majority (71%) patients don’t know or not sure that fatty/oily food restriction is important in diabetic management. Most (82%) of the patients were not or occasionally maintaining snacks in between the meals. Majority (81%) of the patients were thinking that in case of hypoglycemia, sweets/chocolates/oily foods are ideal things rather than glucose candies/simple sugars/jaggery etc. Many of the patients (82%) were willing to change their dietary habits.
DISCUSSION:
In this study we found that many of patients with T2DM from rural area not having proper idea about importance of diet in the management of diabetes. Many patients were not aware about what type of foods increases glucose levels. Most of the patients were not following with fruit/fiber servings or snacks in between meals. Many of the patients were not aware that they have to restrict fatty/oily foods to maintain good glycemic control. Hypoglycemia correction also not having proper management idea, many of them were taking oily/fatty foods such as sweets/chocolates etc.  rather than glucose biscuits/candies/sugar/jaggery. These fatty food things may delay in increase in elevation of blood glucose levels.  However better part is many of them are willing to change their dietary habits for better diabetes control. 
In conclusion, many of the T2DM patients in rural areas even though they know that diet is important in diabetes management, they were not having proper knowledge. Periodic counseling by treating doctor or health care professional in very much needed.

A pilot study on dietary awareness in diabetes management among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in rural area