Investigation of the Relationship Between Alternative Treatment Methods Used by Type 2 Diabetes Patients and Their Nutritional Status and Self-Care

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterised by abnormalities in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism and is caused by insulin secretion, insulin resistance or a combination of both. This study was conducted to examine the effects of alternative treatment methods used by individuals with type 2 diabetes on their eating habits and self-care. A total of 48 individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes participated in the study. The average duration of diabetes was 10.7 years and 58.7% of the participants used oral anti-diabetic drugs. 47.9% of the participants stated that they had previously used Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) and 55% stated that they used CAM to get rid of the side effects of medication. The mean CAM attitude level of the patients was 32.3±8.1 and the mean self-care level was 71.9±13.4. A positive correlation was found between the number of meals, duration of diabetes, fasting and postprandial blood glucose and self-care levels (p