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. 2025 Jun 11;22(6):925.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph22060925.

Adherence to Personalised Nutrition Education Based on Glycemic and Food Insulin Index Principles and Their Association with Blood Glucose Control in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Hildegard Strydom  1 , Jane Muchiri  1 , Elizabeth Delport  2 , Zelda White  1
Affiliations

Adherence to Personalised Nutrition Education Based on Glycemic and Food Insulin Index Principles and Their Association with Blood Glucose Control in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Hildegard Strydom et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Personalised nutrition education (PNE) can enhance blood glucose control (BGC). We determined whether patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) adhered to PNE based on glycemic index (GI), glycemic load (GL), and food insulin index (FII) principles and whether adherence was associated with improved BGC. This retrospective cohort included 67 files for patients who received PNE. The patients completed 3-day food and blood glucose records at three points over 90 days. HbA1c values were compared between time points. An adherence score sheet (ASS) was used to determine their adherence to PNE and the main meal adherence classification (MMAC). A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to assess the changes over time. A chi-square test determined the association between the MMAC and blood glucose levels falling within the targeted ranges. Correlations between dietary adherence and BGC indicators were examined using Pearson's product-moment correlation. Adherence ranged from 88 to 95%. MMAC score was significantly associated with blood glucose being within the targeted ranges (p = 0.028). Mean blood glucose decreased over time, but the correlations with adherence were only significant at time point 1 (p = 0.029). HbA1c levels decreased significantly over time (p = 0.003), but their correlation with adherence was not significant (p > 0.05). In patients with T2DM, high adherence to PNE based on GI, GL, and FII principles was associated with improved BGC.

Keywords: blood glucose control; food insulin index; glycemic index; glycemic load; personalised nutrition education; type 2 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Elizabeth Delport is a co-founder of the GI Foundation of South Africa. The GI Foundation was not promoted by, nor did it benefit in any way from, this study. The authors declare no other conflicts of interest.

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