Determination of Factors Associated with Glycemic Control in Women with Type 2 Diabetes: Nutrition and Physical Activity Level

Aim: Effective diabetes management is achieved with adequate glycemic control. Nutrition and physical activity have an important role in glycemic control. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between glycemic control and nutrition attitude, Mediterranean diet adherence and physical activity levels of women with Type 2 diabetes aged 20-64 years who applied to a state hospital in Konya province. Material and Methods: This correlational study was conducted with 246 women aged 20-64 years with Type 2 diabetes who applied to the Internal Medicine and Endocrinology outpatient clinics of a hospital in Konya. Individuals were selected by random sampling method. Data were collected using a questionnaire form, Attitudes Toward Healthy Eating Scale, Mediterranean Diet Adherence Scale and International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). Descriptive statistics, Chi-Square, Fisher's exact test, Kruskal Wallis test, Spearman correlation analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the data collected by face-to-face interviews. Results: In the study, glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) were used to assess glycemic control. 55.3% and 56.9% of the individuals had poor glycemic control in terms of HbA1c and FBG, respectively. According to logistic regression analysis, for HbA1c; having diabetes for more than 10 years (OR=0.291, 95% Cl=0.095-0.894), high triglycerides (OR=0.440, 95% Cl=0.190-1.017) and low high density lipoprotein (HDL) (OR=0.293, 95% Cl=0.114-0.753); For FBG, increased frequency of skipping medication and insulin use (OR=2.431, 95% Cl=1.090-5.424) and low HDL level (OR=0.269, 95% Cl=0.110-0.653) were significant risk factors. Among the individuals, 73.2% had a moderate attitude towards healthy eating, 46.3% had a moderate adherence to the Mediterranean diet and 60.6% were physically inactive. In addition, there was a very weak negative significant correlation (p