Eating Habits of People with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Portugal: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Nutrition is a cornerstone of diabetes mellitus prevention and management; therefore, it is essential to enable patients to adopt healthy eating habits. Previous studies have not yet documented the main errors in the eating habits of Portuguese people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study aims to identify the main error s in the eating habits of people living with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Portugal and to evaluate its associations with sociodemographic variables.Methods: Cross-sectional multicentric study in a convenience sample of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Primary Health Car e Units. The UK Diabetes and Diet Questionnaire (UKDDQ) - translated and adapted, was applied from July to October 2022. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted.Results: O f the 550 participants , 52.2% were female , 68.3% were 65 years or over, 55.8 % had an education level up to the fourth grade , 24.7% had economic deprivation, and the mean time since diagnosis was 10.60 +/- 8.13 years. Only 36.2% of the sample had a healthy UKDDQ score. Less than 50% of the sample had healthy scores for the items "high-fiber rice or pasta", "high-fiber bread", "butter, margarine and vegetable oils" and "vegetables and pulses". Only 8.9% of the sample had a healthy consumption of fiber. About 70.4% reported healthy scores for the consumption of "high-added-sugar foods" and 54.7% for "high-saturated fat". A statistically significant weak positive correlation was found between the UKDDQ score and age (rho = 0.201 , p < 0.001) with a more frequent choice of healthy foods with increasing age. Female respondents reported healthier habits, particularly in the consumption of "high-saturated fat" and "high-fiber foods".Conclusion: The majority of our sample did not take advantage of the potential benefits of healthy eating habits. The main food groups whose con-sumption should be emphasized or discouraged were individualized, particularly the need to encourage the consumption of high-fiber foods. Targeted educational actions must focus especially on younger and/or male patients.