Type 2 diabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic diseases associated with aging. Nutrition therapy can improve glycemic control among people with diabetes and is an essential component of successful diabetes management. The nutrition information on food labels can guide consumers with diabetes through the decision-making process of selecting food products and portion sizes for meal planning. However, few educational programs have been empirically tested among older adults with diabetes. Also, few studies have examined the decision-making processes used by consumers with diabetes for food selection. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to implement and evaluate a nutrition education program, using a pretest-posttest control group design. Participants (n=100) with type 2 diabetes, at least 65 years of age, will receive random group assignment. Those in the experimental group will participate in ten weekly group sessions. The intervention will integrate principles from social marketing, information processing, learning theory, and Social Cognitive Theory. The effectiveness of the intervention will be assessed based on measures of knowledge using a multiple-choice test designed to measure declarative and procedural knowledge. Participants' perceived confidence to use the food label, decision-making strategies for food purchases, and food purchases also will be evaluated. The impact of the intervention on fasting plasma glucose, glycated hemoglobin and lipid values will be determined. The study has the potential to improve the quality of life among older adults with diabetes by improving their information processing and decision making skills, metabolic control of diabetes, and thereby reducing the risk of complications associated with diabetes.
| Miller, Carla K; Edwards, Lesley; Kissling, Grace et al. (2002) Nutrition education improves metabolic outcomes among older adults with diabetes mellitus: results from a randomized controlled trial. Prev Med 34:252-9 |
| Miller, Carla K; Edwards, Lesley; Kissling, Grace et al. (2002) Evaluation of a theory-based nutrition intervention for older adults with diabetes mellitus. J Am Diet Assoc 102:1069-81 |
| Miller, Carla; Edwards, Lesley (2002) Development and validation of a shelf inventory to evaluate household food purchases among older adults with diabetes mellitus. J Nutr Educ Behav 34:261-7 |
