Group Lunch Visits at the Public Health Center Improve Glycemic Control in Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of nutrition education program for diabetic patients on the glycemic control at the public health center. The study subjects, aged 61.7 +/- 9.4 years, were 93 sex- and age-matched patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. They were divided into three groups: nutrition education & diet practice group(EDG), nutrition education-only group (EG), and the control group (CG). Height, weight, and the postprandial 2 hour blood glucose (PP2) were measured at baseline, and 4, 6 and 8 week after the diabetic nutrition education program. At baseline there were no differences in height, weight, and blood glucose levels among the three groups. Nutrition education programs, especially that with group lunch practice sessions were found to be effective in lowering the blood glucose levels in patients with NIDDM patients. At 4 week blood glucose levels were decreased by 40.6% and 19.6% in EDG and EG, respectively, which was further dropped by 50.2% and 35.1% at 8 week, as compared to the CG group. For the EDG group, the total energy intake, which was 162.3% of the prescription before the diet counselling session, was decreased to 113.6% of the prescription after the lunch visit, with most decrease coming from the reduction in carbohydrate and fat intake. Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that the total energy intake explained 47.9% and 57% of blood glucose changes for men and women, respectively, and that percent energy intake from protein explained 15.8% for women. These results demonstrate that the public health center nutrition education programs for diabetic patients, especially that with group lunch practice sessions are very effective for the glycemic control in patients with diabetes mellitus.