Barriers to adherence to a nutritional plan and strategies to overcome them in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus; results after two years of follow-up

Abstract Introduction Lifestyle changes in medical nutrition therapy (MNT) are associated to HbA1c decreases ranging from 0.3 to 2%. Evidence shows that people with barriers are less likely to adhere to a long-term nutritional plan. Little information is available on the barriers that prevent the implementation of a healthy nutritional plan, and the strategies used to overcome them. Objective To report the longitudinal changes in perceptions of barriers to adherence to a nutritional plan in T2DM. Methods A prospective cohort study with intervention. Follow-up was assessed at two years, and all patients received comprehensive care according to the CAIPaDi model. A questionnaire was used to detect the most common barriers to adherence to a nutritional plan at baseline and at 3 months and 1 and 2 years of follow-up. The analysis included data from 320 patients with complete evaluations from baseline to 2 years. Patients with T2DM aged 53.8 ± 9.1 years (55.9% women), BMI 29.2 ± 4.4 kg/m2, and time since the diagnosis 1 (0–5) years were included in the study. Results At baseline, 78.4% of patients reported any barrier that limited adherence to a nutritional plan. The most common were “Lack of information on an adequate diet” (24.7%), “I eat away from home most of the time” (19.7%), and “Denial or refusal to make changes in my diet” (14.4%). After a structured nutritional intervention including strategies to eliminate each barrier, a 37% reduction (p  7% (24.7%) and triglyceride levels >150 mg/dL (27.5%) out of the control range as compared to those with no barriers (11.6% and 14.4% respectively, p  Conclusions Identification of barriers to adherence to a nutritional plan may allow healthcare professionals design interventions with the specific behavioral components needed to overcome such barrier, thus improving adherence to the nutritional plan with the resultant long-term changes.