Introduction
Dietary practices remain among the most difficult components of diabetes self-management to modify and sustain, particularly in children. This study evaluated a culturally tailored diabetes self-management education (DSME) programme.
Methodology
Study population
A total of 122 children aged 1 to 18 years with type 1 diabetes were enrolled, grouped as DSME-received (n = 61) and newly diagnosed without DSME (n = 61).
Data collection
Caregiver interviews using a validated questionnaire captured dietary habits and junk-food consumption.
Results
Parents in the DSME group demonstrated better diet knowledge, including selection of sugar-controlling snacks (88.5% vs 63.9%) and food-label checking (77% vs 41%). Junk-food intake was higher in the non-DSME group.
| Diet-knowledge indicator | DSME | No DSME |
|---|---|---|
| Prefers sugar-controlling snacks | 88.5% | 63.9% |
| Checks food labels | 77% | 41% |
Conclusion
Children exposed to structured DSME demonstrated significantly superior carbohydrate-related knowledge and healthier dietary practices than newly diagnosed children.