Self-Reported Dietary Behaviors Help Tailor Nutritional Interventions for Diabetes Patients
Self-reporting dietary behavior tools like the Personal Diabetes Questionnaire-11 (PDQ-11) can help tailor individual nutrition intervention strategies for patients with diabetes with lower levels of education, according to a recent study.
Findings of the study were presented at the International Conference on Diabetes, Nutrition, Metabolism & Medicare in Vancouver, Canada, on July 25, 2017.
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Existing data has indicated that patients with diabetes who have lower literacy and numeracy skills tend to have difficulty adhering to dietary recommendations. As a result, practical and effective tools are needed to help assess self-management behaviors and to evaluate potential interventions based on patients’ individual needs.
In this study, the researcher evaluated 411 patients with diabetes using the English or Spanish version of the PDQ-11, the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA), the Perceived Diabetes Self- Management Scale (PDSMS), and the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS). Statistical analyses were also performed to assess the structure, reliability, and validity of the PDQ-11.
Demographic information indicated that 64% of participants were non-Hispanic whites, while 24% were Hispanics and 18% were non-Hispanic blacks. Participants were a mean age of 49.3 years and had a mean education of 11.2 years, a mean body mass index (BMI) of 35.8 kg/m2, and a mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of 9.6%.
A factor analysis of the PDQ-11 evaluated 4 major components: eating behavior problems; use of information for making dietary decisions; calorie restriction; and activity and exercise. Results indicated that eating behavior problems and use of information for making dietary decisions were strongly associated with the general diet and specific diet subscales of the SDSCA, and also correlated with PDSMS and ARMS scores. Additionally, the researcher found that different PDQ-11 subscales effectively predicted BMI, diastolic blood pressure, and systolic blood pressure.
“The PDQ-11 is a valid measure of dietary behaviors in patients with type 2 diabetes,” the researcher concluded. “Its use may help to tailor individual nutrition intervention strategies.”
—Christina Vogt
Reference:
Akohoue S. Validity and reliability of a self-report measure of diet in patients with type 2 diabetes. Paper presented at: International Conference on Diabetes, Nutrition, Metabolism & Medicare; July 24-26, 2017. Vancouver, Canada. http://diabetesconference.alliedacademies.com/abstract/2017/validity.