Adherence to dietary recommendations and sleep quality among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Enugu Nigeria

Abstract

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a global public health concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where adherence to self-care practices remain suboptimal. Among key components of the disease management, adherence to dietary recommendations and quality of sleep play a critical role in glycaemic control and prevention of complications. To assess the level of adherence to dietary recommendations and the quality of sleep among T2DM patients attending health facilities in Enugu, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among adult T2DM patients in Enugu using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected through structured questionnaires including validated scales for dietary adherence and sleep quality. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis. Among 350 respondents, 24.0% of study participants had a good UKDDQ score of healthy diet adherence, 33.7% had moderate adherence and 42.2% had poor adherence. For sleep quality, 55.71% of study participants had good sleep quality score, while 44.28% had poor sleep quality. Overall, more Females (27.4%) showed good diet adherence than males(20%)while more males (59.4%) had good sleep quality compared to females(52.6%). The study reveals suboptimal adherence to dietary recommendations and poor sleep quality among T2DM patients in Enugu. These findings underscore the need for targeted educational and behavioural interventions to enhance self-care practices in this population.