Development of a preliminary diabetes dietary satisfaction and outcomes measure for patients with type 2 diabetes

Adopting dietary lifestyle changes for diabetes management is often difficult for patients; yet the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes of dietary management for the patient are not extensively developed in the HRQOL assessments now widely used in diabetes research. This study developed a preliminary instrument, the diabetes dietary satisfaction and outcomes measure, to assess outcomes of individuals' experiences in following a meal plan for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. A theoretical framework and preliminary focus group data guided the design of a 47-item questionnaire, administered to 239 patients with type 2 diabetes. Medical file data was obtained on 180 of these patients. Fifty-four percent of respondents were women, with mean age of 64 +/- 12 years and diabetes duration of 10 +/- 8 years. Scores for the satisfaction and other outcome measures discriminated between patient groups by age, gender, medication use, depression diagnosis, meal plan status, and employment status. Significant correlations also occurred with diet adherence, number of co-morbidities, and glycemic control as measured by glycolated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Future research with additional patient samples is needed to refine the measure for use in diabetes education programs.