Abstract Background and Objectives: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a prevalent chronic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and/or insufficient insulin secretion, leading to persistent hyperglycemia. With the global incidence of T2DM steadily increasing, effective management strategies are essential to prevent complications and improve patient outcomes. Nutritional counseling has emerged as a key component in diabetes care, aiming to enhance dietary adherence and support glycemic control. This longitudinal study aimed to evaluate the impact of structured nutrition counseling on patients’ adherence to dietary recommendations and its subsequent effect on blood glucose control among individuals with T2DM. Materials and Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted at Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital over 6 months, from March 3, 2025, to September 3, 2025. A total of 120 patients diagnosed with type 1 and T2DM were recruited using a simple random sampling technique from the hospital’s outpatient department. Data collection was performed at three intervals spaced 3 months apart: the initial assessment in March, the second in June, and the final in September using questionnaires, including sociodemographic information and the validated mininutritional assessment tool. In addition, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were measured at each time point to evaluate glycemic control across three time points. A total of 120 patients participated in the study. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26. Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages) were used to summarize participant characteristics and outcome variables. Repeated measures ANOVA was employed to assess changes in nutritional status and glycemic indices over time. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between nutritional adherence scores and glycemic control parameters. A P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study demonstrated that a considerable proportion of patients were at risk of malnutrition, with prevalence rates of 83.3% at the first observation, 67.5% at the second, and 75.8% at the third. Overall, 75.5% of the sample remained vulnerable, underscoring the need for continuous nutritional monitoring. Significant associations ( P < 0.05) were identified between nutritional status and key sociodemographic and clinical factors, including age, income, educational attainment, employment status, family history of diabetes, type of diabetes, disease duration, and latest HbA1c levels, with HbA1c showing the strongest correlation. Conclusions: The findings underscore the need for comprehensive patient education and targeted interventions to address nutritional deficiencies and improve diabetes management outcomes. Socio-economic factors significantly influence nutritional status and glycemic control, highlighting the importance of tailored approaches.
Abdulhamza et al. (Mon,) studied this question.