The effect of nutrition education on knowledge, attitude and practice of type 1 diabetic patients from Aligoodarz

Medical-nutritional managements would reduce the progress of complications in the diabetic patients. There are a number of controversial findings about the effect of knowledge on improvement of metabolic control in type 1 diabetic patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of nutrition education on knowledge, attitude and practice of patients in Aligoodarz. Using standard methods, the biochemical indices were measured at the beginning of the study and the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) questionnaire was filled in by the patients. The patients were trained 12 hrs during 3 days for diet survey and KAP. Three months later, the biochemical indices were measured, the questionnaires were filled in and the data of before and after the training were compared. The data were analyzed by SPSS, using paired t-test and McNemar tests. P values less than 0.05 were considered significant. The mean of the duration of diabetes was 10.9±6.44 years. FBS, HbA1c%, total cholesterol, LDL-C and hypoglycemic attacks decreased significantly (p<0.001). Both knowledge and practice scores increased (p<0.001) significantly from 14.2±3.9 to 21.9±2.6 and 17.2±5.8 to 26.9±4.5, respectively. Attitude also increased significantly (p<0.05). Based on our results, nutrition education increases knowledge, attitude and practice in the diabetics and changes the biochemical indices to improve their metabolic control. Therefore, the appropriate nutrition education, in addition to insulin therapy, is useful in the control of type 1 diabetes.