Diabetes and Nutrition
During May 2020, Nutrition Department, Sugar Hospital, has developed a 2.5 minutes nutrition/ diet related educational video and written material, in Urdu language, for patients with diabetes. This project was designed by UK-based AIMS volunteer, Dr. Yusra Amanullah, during COVID-19 pandemic.
Our main goal was to re-establish nutrition service to our patients with diabetes, which were briefly interrupted, due to financial constrain in COVID-19 pandemic. Also data was collected and analyzed, to assess the impact of a nutrition-based educational video as an intervention, via cellphone to the patients with Type 2 Diabetes.
Trial project was implemented with 200 patients, attending our “circle of care” for one month. Patients’ baseline diabetes related diet/ nutrition knowledge was assessed using UKDDQ (UK diabetes diet questionnaire) with their demographic details. Educational video was shown to every study subject in the clinic, written material was given and explained by the nutritionist. Patients were followed after a week, through a telephone call/ WhatsApp massage, for their feedback and any clarification required. Three months later patients were followed for reassessment of their diabetes related diet and nutrition knowledge using the same questionnaire and basic demographics were checked. We found reduction in BMI and HbA1c level only in patients with greater HbA1c (>7% at baseline).