Effectiveness of Mediterranean Diet on Diabetic Control and Cardiovascular Risk Modification Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Oman: A Study Protocol

@#Introduction: In the recent years, there is remarkable increased in the prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in Middle East countries including Oman. There is good evidence that Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) is effective over diabetes control and several cardiovascular risk factors in different populations, with little compelling evidence among Omanis. This paper describes the protocol of a wait-list, open labelled, randomized control trial, with its main objective aimed to determine the effectiveness of Mediterranean Diet intervention on glycaemic control and cardiovascular risks among T2DM patients in Oman. Methods: A total of 140 eligible T2DM patients will be recruited. Participants in the intervention group will undergo a six-month MedDiet program comprising of different activities (individual dietary counseling, cooking classes, phone calls and social media messages) while the control group will continue with standard diabetes care. Data collection will be conducted at baseline, after three and six months. The 2 x 3 mixed-design ANOVA will be used to determine the mean changes in outcome variables over the full study period between the two groups. Discussion: Epidemiology studies on nutrition and health had focused on dietary pattern, which provides an opportunity to account for nutrient-nutrient interactions lately. Mediterranean Diet has produced consistent findings on its protective role in diabetes management, with little information on its effectiveness in population outside of Mediterranean basin, including Oman. The outcomes of current study will be used to inform community and health care professionals on the effectiveness and practically of MedDiet on diabetes management.

Lifestyle habits: diet, physical activity and sleep duration among Omani adolescents

This study aimed to investigate the lifestyle habits-physical activity [PA], eating habits [EH], and sleep duration [SD]-of Omani adolescents, and to examine gender differences in such variables. 802 Omani adolescents [442 females and 360 males], aged 15-18 years were randomly recruited. Anthropometric indices, PA level, and EH and SD were evaluated by the Arab Teenage Lifestyle questionnaire. A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire for dietary assessment was also administered. The results showed that although the study subjects had a sedentary lifestyle [lack of PA, average of 6.7 hours sleep, and consumption of high calorie foods], they maintained a normal body mass [less than 25 Kg/m2]. Males were more than twice as active as females. With respect to EH, there were few gender differences, except in dairy and meat consumption where 62.5% and 55.5% of males consumed more than 3 servings, respectively, compared to 18.78% and 35.2% of females, respectively. In addition, waist/height ratio, height, reasons for being active, energy drinks, potato consumption, eating sweets, vigorous PA and breakfast EHs were statistically significant independent predictors for BMI, P <0.05 for both males and females. This study revealed a high prevalence of sedentary behaviors and a low level of physical activity, especially among females. Unhealthy dietary habits were also widely found among both genders. There is an urgent need for more research as well as a national policy promoting active living and healthy eating and discouraging sedentary behaviour among Omani adolescents

Nutritional practices of athletes in Oman: a descriptive study

Adequate dietary intake is crucial for optimum training and performance of athletes. There is almost no available information related to dietary practices among Omani athletes, especially during the competition. This study aimed to assess the nutritional practices [nutritional knowledge, eating habits and daily nutrients intake] among Omani male handball athletes in Muscat city, Oman. This is a cross sectional study including 35 male handball athletes involved in serious training for no less than three years. Data collection was done through personal interviews using a study questionnaire which enlisted questions relating to socio-demographic information, anthropometric measurements and nutritional practices. All the study participants declared no intake of anabolic steroids. The mean age of the study participants was 27 +/- 3 years. Their anthropometric assessment revealed that their mean height was 166 +/- 12 cm, mean weight was 75 +/- 10 kg, and body mass index was 27 +/- 3. Nutritional knowledge analysis revealed that 80% had no nutritional supervision by a nutritionist/dietitian. Their knowledge of nutritional requirements was only 23% correct for total energy intake, 63% for protein intake, 46% for carbohydrate intake, 11% for fat intake and 83% for water intake. Eating habits indicated that 55% had <3 meals/day, 51% had lunch as the principal meal, 51% always added extra salt to their food, 28% took protein supplements on a daily basis, and 51% used pre-competition glycogen load diet. However, none consumed vitamins or mineral supplements. The mean daily caloric intake was 3674 +/- 265 kcal/day, which was roughly comprised of 596 +/- 66 g carbohydrates, 147 +/- 28 g of protein and 78 +/- 20 g of total fat. Professional nutritional supervision is needed in order to improve the nutritional knowledge and eating habits of Omani athletes, and therefore improve their athletic performance.