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. 2025 Jul 12;11(1):138.
doi: 10.1186/s40795-025-01115-0.

Nutritional myths in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes: a pilot study

Didem Gunes Kaya  1 , Sabriye Arslan  2 , Emine Yassıbaş  3 , Feride Ayyıldız  3 , Elvan Bayramoglu  4 , Hande Turan  4 , Olcay Evliyaoglu  4
Affiliations

Nutritional myths in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes: a pilot study

Didem Gunes Kaya et al. BMC Nutr. .

Abstract

Background: The global prevalence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is steadily increasing, particularly among children and young adults. Health-related myths can significantly influence patients' dietary behaviors and treatment adherence, thereby compromising disease management and metabolic outcomes.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 190 adolescents and young adults with T1DM attending a pediatric endocrinology outpatient clinic. Data on demographics, BMI, HbA1c values, and nutrition-related myths were collected through face-to-face interviews. Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests and Spearman correlation coefficients, were performed using SPSS 22.0 software. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent predictors of metabolic control status (p < 0.05).

Results: Participants had a mean diabetes duration of 7.5 ± 4.63 years, with a mean HbA1c of 7.9 ± 1.44%. Approximately 27.0% of adolescents and 20.0% of young adults were overweight or obese. Only 29.0% of individuals had good metabolic control (HbA1c <%7), while 71.0% had HbA1c ≥ 7. An increase in diabetes duration was found to elevate the risk of poor metabolic control by 1.107 times, whereas a higher total number of answers was associated with a 0.696-fold decrease in this risk (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Improved knowledge about nutrition myths is associated with better metabolic control among adolescents and young adults with T1DM. Structured education programs tailored to this population may contribute to improved glycemic outcomes. A multidisciplinary team approach is essential to effectively deliver educational content and reinforce evidence-based dietary practices.

Keywords: Adolescent; Metabolic control; Myth; Type 1 diabetes; Young adult.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Consent for publication: Not Applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Human ethics and consent to participate: This study followed the Helsinki Declaration. All participants signed an informed consent form, and this study was approved by the Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty Clinical Research Ethics Committee (Registration number: E-83045809-604.01.02-28243). Informed consent from parents was obtained for minor participants. Clinical trial number: Not applicable.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of adolescents (a) and young adults (b) with T1DM according to BMI classification
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Evaluation of total correct answers according to metabolic control level (Independent t-test)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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