Study Highlights Nutrition Gap Among Diabetes Patients

A study by sixth-year medical students at Arabian Gulf University highlighted a major nutrition knowledge gap among people living with Type 2 diabetes in Bahrain.

Published in the international peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Nutrition, the study examined the link between nutrition knowledge, blood sugar control and obesity among 364 adults with Type 2 diabetes attending primary healthcare centres across Bahrain.

The participants included 165 men and 199 women.

The findings showed that 51.2% of the participants were obese, while 38.7% had very poor blood sugar control.

One of the most notable findings was the low level of understanding of food labels. Only 5.7% of the participants could correctly read and understand nutrition information on food products.

The study also found that participants with higher levels of education and better nutrition knowledge tended to have better blood sugar control and lower BMI.

Reading ingredient lists was also linked to better health outcomes, while exposure to misleading nutrition information and difficulty finding reliable sources were linked to poorer blood sugar control.

The researchers said the findings highlight the need for better nutrition education programmes aimed at diabetes patients, as well as greater efforts to correct common misconceptions about food and healthy eating.

They noted that improving access to clear and reliable nutrition information could play an important role in managing obesity, improving diabetes control and supporting patients’ quality of life.

The research team included Ahmed Al Mansoor, Sara Al Ansari, Mai Al Madhahka, Fatima Al Qaoud, Mahia Hisham, Shaikha Al Shamsi, Mohammed Buhazza, Mai Al Ghatam, Alia Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Buainain, Fatima Al Shanawi and Maryam Al Nuaimi.