P-65 An Assessment of Dietary Practices Among Previously Diagnosed Diabetic Patients at a Primary Health Care Centre in Guyana

Methods: The study targeted diabetic patients of any age at the Herstelling Health Centre in Herstelling, East Bank of Demerara. It aimed to assess dietary lifestyle practices with a sample size calculated to be 80 participants using a 5% margin of error. The structure took the form of an analytical study and utilized quantitative methods of data collectionthrough paper-based questionnaires, ensuring participant consent and confidentiality. Participants had to be current diabetic patients at the center, and those who declined to fill out the questionnaire or were non-diabetic were excluded. The Institutional Review Board approval was given and data collection began in March 2024.

Results: The majority of participants were female (74%) and East Indian (95%), with 72.5% having a family history of diabetes. The study indicated that 78.6% of the participants were unemployed, where 42.3% were pensioners, 26.3% were housewives, and 10% received no income. The highest level achieved for more than 70% of participants was Primary education. Findings revealed that lifestyle factors negatively impacted dietary habits, with more than 50% of the sample having high carbohydrate consumption. More than 50% of the participants had moderate to high consumption of sweets, emphasizing the need for nutrition education. More than 60% of the participants were either overweight or obese; however, 60% of the participants exercised once per week.

Conclusion: The study revealed that family history, physical inactivity, poor dietary choices and financial constraints among participants, especially pensioners, posed a major challenge in affording healthy foods while limited education hindered their understanding of managing diabetes.