Food insecurity and its relationship to glycaemic control in diabetic patients attending Jabulani Dumani Community Health Centre

Abstract

Background: Food insecurity can predispose diabetic patients to poor glycaemic control. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of food insecurity and its relationship with glycaemic control and other demographic characteristics among diabetic patients attending Jabulani Dumani Community Health Centre. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study using an administered questionnaire, analysed using nQuery software, Release 7.0. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse independent variables. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to test associations between variables. Results: Among the 250 participants, 63.6% reported being food insecure and 69.9% had poor glycaemic control. There were statistically significant associations between food insecurity and immigration status (p=0.049), household size (p=0.045), employment status (p=0.033), and glycaemic control (0.000). Conclusion: Overall there is higher prevalence of food insecurity in diabetic populations at the primary healthcare level; hence there is a need for regular screening for food insecurity in all diabetic patients for better glycaemic control.