A Descriptive study on nutrition knowledge and dietary practices among adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension at Kitale County Referral Hospital
Date
2023
Authors
Kiarie, R. W.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Strathmore University
Abstract
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading global cause of death, with most of these deaths occurring in low to middle- income countries (LMICs). Hypertension and diabetes are two of the four major NCDs, and they are often comorbidities, meaning that they occur at the same time. Morbidity and mortality is usually a result of long-term complications, and apart from medical therapy, these can be prevented by lifestyle interventions that include dietary modifications. This study sought to describe the nutrition knowledge and dietary practices of patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension. The focus was on patients receiving care at the Kitale County Referral Hospital in Trans Nzoia County, and the study objectives were to (i) assess patients’ knowledge of dietary influence on diabetes and hypertension, (ii) assess sociocultural influences on patients’ dietary practices, (iii) assess patients’ willingness to change their dietary practices, and (iv) assess patient’s awareness of their dietary practices. The study was supported by the Social Cognitive Theory, which is premised upon the reciprocal interaction between individual, behavioural and environmental factors. These factors interact to formulate the control that an individual has over their illness, thereby influencing their motivation to perform self-care activities. This descriptive cross-sectional study utilized quantitative techniques by use of structured questionnaires as the main data collection instrument, in a target population of 973 and a sample size of 283 respondents. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS software, quantitative techniques were used to analyze the data, and descriptive techniques were applied to analyse the characteristics of the respondents. The following conclusions were made from the results: that majority of the participants understood the role of diet in the management of these two conditions; that some cultural practices posed a challenge to some participants, and that they had the family, spousal and social support they needed; that participants were willing to change their dietary practices and adhere to the recommended diet regimens; that most participants had received adequate nutrition education and counselling, however eating balanced diets was a challenge, they were not able to find all the foods they had been advised to eat, and they had to think about the cost of buying these foods. The study recommends sustained efforts in patient education, inclusion of experiential learning through the use of a hospital kitchen in order to contextualize use of locally available foods, and strategies to combat food insecurity especially among the ageing population in the county.
Description
Full - text thesis
Keywords
Citation
Kiarie, R. W. (2023). A Descriptive study on nutrition knowledge and dietary practices among adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension at Kitale County Referral Hospital [Strathmore University]. http://hdl.handle.net/11071/13505