Study on Diet-related Quality of Life in Online Self-help Diabetes Mellitus Patients Who Practice Dietary Regimen / 대한지역사회영양학회지

ABSTRACT

Assessment of quality of life (QOL) is a new method to investigate the effectiveness of dietary regimen. Particularly, diet-related QOL is the most appropriate method to estimate social and psychological problems originated from dietary regimen practice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diet-related QOL and the correlation between diet-related QOL and health-related QOL, and dietary regimen practice in online diabetes self-help patients who practice the dietary regimen. Sixty one subjects who intended to practice dietary regimen were recruited from online diabetes self-help community, and instructed to fill-up the self report questionnaires. Contents of questionnaire were comprised of general characteristics, clinical characteristics, dietary compliance, and dietary regimen practice. As a result, the mean score of the 'Dietary impact' among the diet-related QOL sub-scales was the lowest suggesting most of the subjects suffer from burden of dietary regimen practice. The "Dietary impact" was correlated with "Taste", "Convenience" and "Cost" (p < 0.05). "Self-care" and "Satisfaction" were positively associated with well-controlled blood glucose and dietary regimen compliance, but negatively associated with "Dietary impact". Diet-related QOL was significantly correlated with the Health-related QOL, particularly the mental and social component (p < 0.05). Diet-related QOL was negatively associated with BMI, and self monitoring blood glucose was negatively correlated with "Self-care" (p < 0.05). In conclusion, Diet-related QOL might be appropriate to evaluate the effects of dietary regimen or nutrition education. The need for dietary education of cognitive-behavioral strategies and problem-solving ability is required.