Assessing Home Food Environment and Diabetes Self-management Among Adult Type 2 Diabetes Patients

In this project the investigators examined the impact of diabetes self-management education using text messaging on increasing awareness of CVD risk perception, dietary intake, physical activity, and diabetes self-management among adults with type 2 diabetes using a quasi experimental design. The study sample included 79 adult type 2 diabetes patients (30 years or older). The recruited adult type 2 diabetes patients were assigned into the intervention group (40 participants) and control group (39 participants). The intervention group received 3 messages weekly consisting of nutrition education and diabetes self-management information and skills for 3 months (12 weeks). The messages consisted of information on how to increase fruits and vegetables and reduce high-fat and sugary foods intake, increase the availability of fruits and vegetables and reduce high-fat and sugary foods in the home, strategies to increase diabetes self-management skills, and awareness of cardiovascular disease risk perception and knowledge. The text messages were derived from the American Association of Diabetes Educator (AADE) handouts ("Reducing Risks", "Monitoring", "Healthy Coping", "Problem Solving", "Taking Medication", "Healthy Eating", and "Exercise") Text messages were positive and motivating and included a link to a specific AADE7 handout that allows participants to open and retrieve the specific AADE7 handout. The control group did not receive text messages. The participants (both intervention and control group) completed surveys at baseline (before study begins) and at the conclusion of the study (at three month of the intervention) about their dietary and lifestyle habits, diabetes self-care management activities, and awareness of cardiovascular diseases. We collected also collect patient's self-report Hemoglobin A1C values at baseline and at the conclusion of the study (at three month of the intervention).