Food Management for Persons with Diabetes and Hypertension in the Community

Abstract

Eating behavior is a crucial factor affecting disease control for persons with diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension. However, they have various dietary management strategies.  This qualitative research aimed to study the food management situation among persons with diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension in a community.  The informants were purposively selected from a rural community in Udon Thani Province, Thailand. The participants were comprised of 23 key informants and included persons with diabetes and/or hypertension and their caregivers, as well as 10 general informants which included community leaders, village health volunteers, vendors, and professional nurses.  The qualitative methods for collecting data were in-depth interviews, group discussions, and non-participant observations. Rigor was achieved through triangulation of data sources, data collection methods, and member checking. The data were analyzed using the content analysis method.  The research results revealed three themes. The first theme was that their food resources came from inside and outside of the community. The second theme that emerged was that participants usually had three salty (high salt content) meals per day which were mainly comprised of fish and vegetables.  The cooking methods used included pounding, boiling, frying and grilling, and the food was flavored using salt, fish sauce, pickled fish, and monosodium glutamate.  They also drank significant amounts of coffee, sweetened beverages, and milk, in addition to eating snacks and seasonal fruits. The third theme was related to the reasons for their chosen cooking styles, which were their level disease awareness, habit, family values, and the taste preferences of the person doing the cooking.  These results should be used to design health service management interventions and plans for people with diabetes and hypertension in the community to help them better manage and prevent further complications of the disease