Physician’s perceived barriers to millet-based diet in clinical practice: A cross-sectional survey

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the perceived barriers faced by physicians in Maharashtra when recommending a millet-based diet for diabetic patients. The objectives were to identify the challenges physicians encounter in promoting millet consumption, assess their knowledge and beliefs about millet-based diets, and evaluate the current resources and practices used in dietary counseling for diabetes management. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 68 physicians specializing in diabetes care in Maharashtra. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling and met the inclusion criteria of having over 10 years of clinical practice and significant experience in diabetes management. Data collection was performed through a pre-tested survey tool distributed through email and Google Forms. The survey included questions on the effectiveness of millet-based diets, patient characteristics influencing dietary recommendations, barriers to providing millet-based food education, and current and desired resources for promoting such diets. Ethical approval was obtained, and informed consent was secured from all participants. Results: The survey revealed that 70.59% of physicians considered a millet-based diet significantly effective for lowering blood sugar levels. However, several barriers were identified, including high comorbidities (82.35%) and low income (54.41%) among patients, which hindered dietary recommendations. In addition, physicians reported a lack of formal training in millet-based nutrition (73.53%), personal skepticism toward millet-based diets (63.23%), and insufficient patient educational resources (55.89%). Current resources used for dietary counseling were primarily verbal education (100%) and electronic resources (97.06%). Conclusion: Despite recognizing the potential benefits of millet-based diets, physicians face substantial barriers in recommending them to diabetic patients. These barriers include factors such as lack of training, time, and educational resources. To overcome these challenges, there is a need for enhanced educational programs for physicians, increased availability of patient-friendly educational materials, and access to trained dietitians. Implementing these measures could improve dietary management strategies and health outcomes for diabetic patients.