Abstract
Background: Knowledge and attitude are the main indicators of awareness about the use of artificial sweeteners. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in relation to the consumption of low-calorie artificial sweeteners. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 400 diabetic patients admitted to the diabetes clinic of Bu-Ali hospital in Zahedan were selected by the census method. After recording the demographic characteristics, we assessed participants’ knowledge and attitude through a researcher-made questionnaire. Also, the subjects’ practices were evaluated based on their nutritional behaviors. The answers were marked as good, moderate, and poor. Results: The knowledge and attitude of the study population were 39% and 34.8%, respectively at the ‘poor’ level, 58% and 58.3% at the ‘moderate’ level, and 3% and 7% at the ‘good’ level. There was a significant relationship between patients’ knowledge, attitude and their demographic indicators (p <0.001). Moreover, 8% of patients reported side effects after taking artificial sweeteners, and 20.2% of patients used artificial sweeteners in their pure form beside food. Conclusion: The findings showed that half of the diabetic patients had moderate knowledge and attitude concerning the consumption of artificial sweeteners. They had limited information about low-calorie sweeteners, which affected their nutritional behaviors so that almost half of the subjects did not consume any sweeteners. It has been suggested that appropriate educational programs be designed and implemented to overcome this information gap.
Highlights
Knowledge and attitude are the main indicators of awareness about the use of artificial sweeteners
Knowledge and attitude are the main indicators of awareness that researchers in the fields of nutrition, medicine, and cultural studies investigate in different population groups.[1]
The level of knowledge had no significant relationship with age, gender, and family size (P = 0.09)
Summary
Knowledge and attitude are the main indicators of awareness about the use of artificial sweeteners. Knowledge and attitude are the main indicators of awareness that researchers in the fields of nutrition, medicine, and cultural studies investigate in different population groups.[1] Improving nutritional status is predicated on many factors such as lifestyle and diet.[2] Modifying one’s eating behaviors is an important step toward preventing non-communicable diseases as well as reducing and controlling disease complications In this context, nutrition education is an effective practical method to promote nutritional knowledge, public awareness, and, public health.[3] Being one of the most common metabolic diseases in the world, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) refers to the condition in which insulin production or the body’s ability to use insulin is reduced.[4] In 2017, with 8.9% of its adult population affected with T2DM, Iran ranked second especially patients with T2DM. Given the rising in the number of diabetic patients in the Middle East.[5] number of patients with T2DM in southeast Iran, it seems
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