A study supported by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences entitled "Skills for Change: Implementation of a Community-based Diabetes Nutrition Education Program for Emirati Adults with Type 2 Diabetes” has reached the conclusion of the importance of the availability of dietitians and gyms in the UAE diabetes clinics.

 

This was announced by Dr. Habiba Ali, the principal investigator of the study and an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Health, College of Food and Agriculture, UAE University. She noted that the study was a collaborative effort between researchers from the College of Food and Agriculture, UAE University and the Ambulatory Healthcare Services, SEHA’s Chronic DiseaseClinics Program.

“It is a privilege and a great honor for our research team to receive the support of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences to conduct such a unique research which provides an insight into the impact of providing a culturally adapted lifestyle educational program on diet and physical activity to Emirati patients with type 2 diabetes”, Dr. Habiba said.

“The one-year study involved an intensive nutrition education program focusing on improving diet and physical levels of Emirati patients with type 2 diabetes.  The results of the study indicated significant improvements in diabetes self-management reflected on the reduction of patients’ weight, the increasing of their physical activity levels, and thereby better blood sugar control”, she added.

“The sample of the study consists of 382 Emirati patients with type 2diabetes attending Al Ain Ambulatory Health Services clinics (SEHA), including219 patients (57.5% of the sample) from AlYahar,Al Muwaiji and Al Hilihealth centers. These 3 health centers received the educational program (intervention clinics).  The remaining of the patients in the study, included 163 Emirati patients attending Al Muqam, Zakher, Al Neyadat and Mezyad centers which were the control health centers. The control health centers did receive the educational program so that we can compare them with intervention clinics and thus determine the effectiveness of the program”.

“The study consisted of 3 main stages including the preparation for the study and the pre and post intervention stages”.

“During its 1st stage, 3 questionnaires were developed to assess the patients’ nutrition knowledge about food sources of carbohydrate, fiber, saturated fat and cholesterol in their daily diet. In addition, physical activity and the diabetes treatment satisfaction in SEHA’s centers were assessed”, Dr. Habiba added.

 

“After obtaining the research Ethical approval from Al Ain Medical District Human Research Ethics Committee, a staff of researchers was appointed and trained on the ways of collecting data about diet, nutrition knowledge and physical activity levels among the patients. We also held a number of workshops on behavior change counseling and carbohydrate counting for doctors, nurses and dietitians from the 3 intervention health centers, Al Muwaiji, AlHili and Al Yahar centers”, she said.

“As for the second phase of the study, a series of health awareness and nutrition educational sessions were held for the patients, using audio and visual media, on improving their nutrition knowledge and diabetes self-care, such as making healthy food choices and regular physical activity”, She said.

“During this phase, Dr. Carine Platat, a Co-Investigator of the project from the College of Food and Agriculture, UAE University, developed a set of physical activity sessions culturally-adapted for the Emirati patients with diabetes. Physical activity group sessions were held for the patients in the health centers under the supervision of the nursing staff from the 3 intervention health centers for a period of 5 weeks.In addition, physical activity DVDs were distributed to the patients to encourage them to exercise at home.”

 

“Following the participation of patients in this comprehensive educational awareness program (nutrition and physical activity), the impact of the program on nutrition knowledge, food choices and diabetes-related clinical outcomes, such body weight and blood glucose levels were collected by the research team”, she said.

Dr. Habiba said that by analyzing the data, the intervention participants showed higher intake of healthy foods which are rich in vitamins and fiber, and lower intakeof calories and carbohydrate. An average decrease in the patients’weight, about 1.1 kg, compared to those of patients from the 4 control health centers whose weights increased by about 1 kg.

“Avideo about the “healthy food shopping” was produced with the support of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences and Ambulatory Health Services (SEHA), and posted on the award’s YouTube channel”, she added.

For his part, Prof. Najib Al Khaja, Secretary General of the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences, said that supporting such important studies for the Emirati society comes on the top of the priorities of the award, particularly studies about the diabetes whose prevalence within the UAE is among the highest rates in the world.

“I wish that the recommendations of the study will be adopted in the healthcare centers within the UAE. Adding such services to the diabetes clinics would contribute in improving the prevalence rates of the disease and reducing its consequences”, he said.

“The  failure of patients in controlling blood sugar levels affects the vital functions of many organs in body such as kidney, blood-vessels, eyes, etc., leading to the deterioration of patients’ health over time and casting more burdens on patients, families and societies”, Prof. Najib Al Khaja added.