Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors towards Proper Nutrition and Lifestyles in Italian Diabetic Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Antonella Arghittu, Giovanna Deiana, Elena Castiglia, Adolfo Pacifico, Patrizia Brizzi, Andrea Cossu, Paolo Castiglia and Marco Dettori ()
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Antonella Arghittu: Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Giovanna Deiana: University Hospital of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Elena Castiglia: Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Adolfo Pacifico: Ambulatorio Dietoterapia e Nutrizione Clinica, Struttura di Diabetologia e Malattie Metaboliche, ASL1, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Patrizia Brizzi: Ambulatorio Dietoterapia e Nutrizione Clinica, Struttura di Diabetologia e Malattie Metaboliche, ASL1, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Andrea Cossu: Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Paolo Castiglia: Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Marco Dettori: Department of Medicine, Surgery and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-12

Abstract: Prevention of diabetes mellitus is mainly based on a healthy lifestyle. The lockdown measures imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in major changes in daily life and social behavior, which may have an influence on diabetes self-management and glycemic control. The present work aims to assess the relationship between diabetic patients’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors towards proper nutrition and lifestyles in order to plan strategies for educational intervention from a health literacy perspective. Attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge of diabetic patients attending the Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases Department of the Local Health Authority of Sassari (ASL1-SS) were assessed with a cognitive survey conducted from April to July 2022. Three hundred twenty-one questionnaires were administered during the survey period. Fifty-two percent of diabetic patients were female and 48% male, with a mean age of 61.1 ± 18.5 years and 62.0 ± 15.1 years, respectively. The overall level of knowledge about the role of food and proper nutrition with respect to the risk of diabetes and its complications appeared to be generally unsatisfactory and inadequate. Nonetheless, females showed a significantly higher level of knowledge than males ( p < 0.0001). Moreover, knowledge was seen to decrease according to the age of the patients ( p = 0.035). As for the possible impact played by the COVID-19 pandemic on lifestyles, it should be noted that about 70% of the respondents stated that they had maintained a reasonable dietary standard or even improved it throughout. Thus, the study underlines the need to improve the knowledge of diabetic subjects about nutrition and, in particular, their self-management, positively influencing behaviors and attitudes.

Keywords: diabetes; diabetic patients; lifestyles; proper nutrition; self-management education (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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