Nutritional knowledge and dietary pattern among Type 2 diabetic patients attending University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, FCT, Nigeria

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major non-communicable disease and a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. Effective dietary management is essential for achieving optimal glycaemic control; however, poor nutritional knowledge and unhealthy dietary practices remain common among patients with T2DM, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study assessed nutritional knowledge, dietary practices, and their relationship with glycaemic control among patients with T2DM attending the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study among 150 adults (18–85 years) attending the Diabetes and Endocrine Centre at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital. We recruited participants consecutively over six weeks. The nutritional knowledge and dietary practices were assessed using a structured, validated questionnaire, while fasting blood glucose (FBG) values were extracted from participants’ medical records. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and multivariable logistic regression at a 5% level of significance. The majority of participants were female (60.0%) and aged 60 years or older (44.7%), while 90.0% had at least one comorbidity. Although 92.7% demonstrated good nutritional knowledge, 72.0% had poor dietary practices. More than half of the participants had high fasting blood glucose levels. Dietary practice was significantly associated with glycaemic control ( p < 0.001). Participants with poor dietary practices had significantly higher odds of elevated fasting blood glucose than those with good dietary practices (AOR = 6.76; 95% CI: 2.51–18.20; p < 0.001). Nutritional knowledge was not significantly associated with glycaemic control (AOR = 2.41; 95% CI: 0.26–22.09; p = 0.436). Despite high nutritional knowledge, poor dietary practices were common and were strongly associated with poor glycaemic control. Diabetes management programmes should therefore complement nutrition education with behaviour change interventions, individualised dietary counselling, and continuous patient support to improve dietary adherence and glycaemic outcomes.