Effectiveness of a public dietitian-led diabetes nutrition intervention on glycemic control in a community setting in China

Diabetes mellitus requires lifelong treatment, most of which is accomplished in family and community settings. The present study was designed to identify the effectiveness of nutrition intervention provided by public dietitian on glycemic control in a community setting in China.

Two communities were selected and randomly assigned to a routine care group (59 subjects) and a public dietitian-led intervention group (58 subjects) who received diabetic nutrition management for one year. The main measures included fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, weight, body mass index (BMI), lipid profile, and blood pressure.

In the intervention group, there was significant improvement in fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels relative to the control subjects (p<0.05). Over the 12-month period, there was a decrease in energy intake, including reductions in absolute amounts (grams) of protein and fat in the intervention group. The energy percent values of carbohydrate, protein, and fat were 50.7%, 17.0%, and 32.3%, respectively, at baseline and 53.0%, 17.1%, and 29.9% (within the recommended range) after the intervention. There were significant improvements in total energy, absolute amounts of fat and protein, and the energy percent values of carbohydrates and fat. In the control group, however, these values were similar before and after the intervention, and the energy percent values of fat were still above the recommended range.

In a community setting, a diabetes nutrition intervention led by a public dietitian significantly improved the glycemic control of type 2 diabetic patients.